Bridging the Gap
by cookiegutter
Summary: ME2 and ME3 have a huge continuity gap that, in the broader sense, just doesn't add up. It's hard piecing up a story when the people behind it, leave not even a cookie crumb trail for it, but I'm gonna try. Also, there's a MShep/Jack romance, Jacob may be Martin Lawrence for some reason and it's gonna be both serious and funny and many lighthearted things in between.
1. Chapter 1

___ME2 and ME3 have a huge continuity gap that, in the broader sense, just doesn't add up. It's hard piecing up a story when the people behind it, leave not even a cookie crumb trail for it, but I'm gonna try. Also, there's a MShep/Jack romance, Jacob is Martin Lawrence for some reason and it's gonna be both serious and funny, campy and cheesy and many lighthearted things in between, I hope. So call it what you want, this is "Bridging the Gap" because I suck at coming up with titles._

_Chapter 1: Another day, another fight_

The concussive shot had knocked him out, temporarily. There was a loud buzz in his ear and he knew he was awake, but all was dark. A distorted image seemed to come to view before his eyes, then coherence, then color, then clear sound. The Loki mechs were drawing closer. A few feet to his right, Tali sat crouched behind a crate, clutching her shotgun tightly. The two glowing lights that were her eyes seemed to be dulled or gone. Shepard figured she was just praying to a Quarian god or something equivalent for a miracle. Not too far ahead, the body of Garrus Vakarian was hanging from a high ledge. Garrus had tried to gain a vantage point to shoot at a mech carrying a missile launcher. Instead, he managed to draw all enemy fire on him, as he charged head first, without warning his comrades.

_Dammit, Vakarian,_ Shepard muttered under his breath. He needed to buy them some time. He thrust a second thermal clip in his pistol and threw it amidst the Loki mechs. At first, the mechs moved away from it and took to cover, their programming telling them to avoid projectiles. Seeing as the pistol didn't explode, however, the droids seemed to resume their advance. It was all the time Shepard needed. Pulling out his sniper rifle, he shot the charged thermal clips, causing a small blast that took out a few mechs. There were plenty more, though, from where those came from. He needed to get Garrus up again. _Last one,_ he thought to himself as he remotely activated Garrus' medigel dispenser.

Garrus slowly opened his eyes and shifted as he hang from the ledge. He almost fell, but even in a near lethargic state, his reflexes kicked in lightning fast, his arm grabbing on to a steel pipe, as he was about to drop. His emergence not registered yet by the mechs, Garrus deftly climbed back up. A sniper rifle, _his _sniper rifle, was laying on the ledge, on a spot behind a steel cover. Setting up as fast as he could, he looked down, over the cover, seeing Shepard smacking a droid with one of his biotic charges. A couple dozen feet away, a droid was firing a missile from its launcher. _Incoming, _Garrus shouted.

Shepard heard the shout and looked up from his cover. The missile was headed for Tali. The Quarian still remained in her place, in a state of shock. The crates behind her had taken a lot of fire, but they wouldn't stand another missile. Shepard's senses heightened. He'd been successful before in getting in a state where he seemed to move twice as fast as most anybody alive. The missile seemed to slow down and Shepard run to Tali, tackling her by the shoulders and moving her away from the crate as the missile hit. Bits of shrapnel flew everywhere, grazing him and cutting him. As he hit the ground, he could hear Tali groaning. Upon quick inspection, he noticed that a metallic shard seemed to have lodged itself in her right calf. _Move to cover and stay down, _Shepard ordered her, grabbing her by the helmet.

_Y-yes, Shepard, _Tali muttered, finally seeming to snap out of her shocked state. Slowly, she crawled out of the way, leaving her shotgun behind for Shepard. In the distance she could hear Garrus' triumphant shouts. _Scoped and dropped, _he exclaimed as his sniper rifle echoed over the open platform. Meanwhile, his shields recharged, Shepard grabbed Tali's shotgun and dived after the mechs that had started to swarm around Garrus.

Shepard and Garrus together were a formidable team, once they got started. Holed up in his tall vantage point, covered behind a steel sheet that worked for a railing, the Turian marksman was taking down droids faster than they could shoot. The ones that tried to climb up to him, were quickly blown to bits by Shepard and the Geth plasma shotgun he took from Tali, while the ones that tried to go after Shepard, were quickly reminded that they should never have ignored the precision of Garrus Vakarian. This resulted on a deadly cycle of blasted nuts, bolts, chassis' and mainboards.

The mayhem over with, Garrus Vakarian climbed down. _That was some fight, huh, Shepard? _Garrus remarked casually. Hidden under his helmet, Garrus could not see Shepard's facial expression, for if he could, he wouldn't have been so casual. Shepard grabbed him by the collar and pushed him up against the wall.

_The hell were you thinking? _Shepard demanded of him. Garrus looked at him confused and a bit intimidated. Shepard let him go, shaking his head to cool off.

_Shepard, look ... _Garrus tried to defend himself.

_I did look, Garrus. And I saw you run past me, just as I'm about to fire a biotic blast. It's a damn miracle I didn't kill you on the spot! And you ... _Shepard turned to Tali as she limped over, the metal shard still stuck in her calf. _Tali, you have the most powerful shotgun in the galaxy and you don't fire it, not even once! Care to explain that to me?_

_I'm sorry, Shepard. I guess I should have told you. After the fight at the collector base, I'm not quite ready again for action, but I didn't want to disappoint you either, _Tali apologized.

_I figured that much, _Shepard snapped. He took a few breaths, trying to calm down. _Listen, Tali, you can't follow me in your condition. Go see Chakwas and get that thing removed asap. It's not gonna kill you, but the infection will have you out of commission for a while. Garrus, you're relieved as well._

_Me? Shepard, I took a few blows, but nothing like a rocket to the face. I'm fine now, _Garrus defended himself.

_Fine? You're ... fine. This, _Shepard made a swooping move of his arm, _is what fine looks to you. We almost got killed. And to what? A few mechs? No, Garrus, you're not fine. You're going in that shuttle with Tali. _He strapped Tali's shotgun and started off to enter the warehouse ahead of him. _Once you reach the Normandy, get Samara and Thane to come find me._

_Just the two of them? There's room for three in the shuttle,_ Garrus asked.

Shepard stopped his march and turned to face Garrus. _Yes, Garrus, I know. I plan on going home in that shuttle._


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2:_ _Reinforcements_

When Garrus got in the shuttle, Tali was already sitting down on one of the seats, the right foot put up, the ugly metal shard still sticking out of her calf. The pain had somewhat subsided for now, but that was temporary. Once Chakwas would pull it out, a whole deal of pain would be coming her way. _A local would be for the best,_ she thought.

_Hey, _Garrus interrupted her. _How are you feeling, Tali? _he asked, then went to sit across from her in the shuttle.

_I, _Tali sniffled, _think I'm infected already. It doesn't hurt as bad as it did a while ago, though._

_Listen ... I'm sorry about what happened back there. Shepard was right to chew me out. I don't know what I was thinking, _Garrus apologized to Tali.

_You should be sorry, _Tali snapped. _You nearly got us all killed, _she added, then remained solemn for a moment. Garrus found that he couldn't face her right now. She knew, though that the blame wasn't entirely on him. _Oh, I'm sorry Garrus_. _I shouldn't be the one to judge. After all, what did I do instead of crouch in a corner and cry like a little baby._

_I guess we both messed up bad this time, _Garrus chorted.

_What about Shepard, though. Think he'll be alright? _Tali wondered.

_Oh, he'll be fine. I've seen him take down a group of Ymir mechs with hardly a scratch. Sometimes I wonder why did he even want us in the Collector base mission in the first place, _Garrus mused. Despite his words, Tali wasn't feeling relieved.

While the shuttle returned to the Normandy, Shepard pressed on alone. Going from corridor to corridor, the compound was mostly quiet. Still, Shepard moved cautiously, Tali's shotgun firm in hand. Exiting a large storage room and finding yet another corridor, he paused and peeked. _A dozen mechs or so and two turrets. Gonna waste a lot of fire power for this one. There's an easier way though, _he thought to himself. Bringing up his omni-tool he made a brief scan and found the control terminal for the turrets. After a few attempts at remote hacking, access to both machines was secured. _Now, to set them against the droids and then themselves._ Shepard heard the machines come to life and a barrage of firing. After a few minutes, the corridor was quiet again and he made his way across a sea of scrap metal.

A lone figure paced outside the infirmary, Garrus Vakarian, his head's fringes bobbing with every step. Tali had been in there for a while. The blinds were closed and the door locked to everyone, while Dr. Chakwas, assisted by Mordin Solus, worked on removing the metallic shard from Tali's calf. He heard the door open and Dr. Chakwas walked out. _Doctor, _Garrus interrupted her train of thought.

_Oh, Garrus, _she wheezed. _You startled me. What can I do for you?_

_How is she, doctor? _he asked concerned.

_She's going to be fine, _Chakwas reassured him. _Tali's seen and been through much worse. She's got a little infection but I would expect that to subside in the next couple of days. Mordin is working on something for it right now. No need to worry. _She patted him on the shoulder and started to leave.

_Did she ... say anything about me?_ Garrus wondered.

_She did ask if we knew what was concerning the dashing commander Vakarian lately, if that's what you're looking for, _she replied_._

_Dashing? She really said dashing?_ he questioned her.

The doctor laughed. _No, not really. _Garrus' head sunk. _However, the way she said it, didn't leave much in the way of interpretation._

_And you're not just saying this to cheer me up? _In spite of Chakwas' comforting words, he was still very reserved.

_Garrus, _she soothed him, pressing a hand against his cheek. _I've been dressing wounds to young soldiers and relaying bad news to families and loved ones for the better part of my life. I can tell when one cares enough for another to put him above her own personal safety. My days of romantic excursions have been stigmatized by our mortality and the inevitability of loss. My advice to you; if you care for someone, show it to her, before it's too late.  
_  
And with that, Chakwas left Garrus behind to ponder.

On the surface below, Shepard was still making his way to his mission objective. He had gone through most of the giant warehouse compound. He found himself now in another storage room swarming with Loki mechs. _Where the hell did all these mechs come from?_ he thought to himself._ He couldn't afford all this tech with a simple dockworker salary. Not even smuggling would do it. What's going on?_

He would have to get to the bottom of this, but for now, he would have to get through a room of patrolling droids. He prepped his shotgun and sneaked behind some cover, bid his time and as soon as the first droid came withing firing range, Shepard popped up and blasted it to bits. The other mechs quickly registered his presence and started closing in on him. He fired again and again reducing a large number of of them to scrap. Soon enough, however, he found himself on his last thermal clip. _There's just too damn many. I've gotta take them out in a more decisive way. If I could lure them in a confined space, I'd be able to take them out all together ... with this, _he thought as he pulled out the Cain. He agreed, though, that it was a rather extreme measure. He wondered what was taking Samara and Thane so long to find him.

As it stood, it was all of minor consequence. Shepard fired the last few shots he had left in his shotgun and retreated in one of the corridors that led him there in the first place. As the droids siphoned themselves in, he let out the one shot stored in the Cain from a safe distance and watched them blow up. He felt rather pleased with the result and basked a little in the glory of the destruction he caused, before moving on to the last room. Having spent all of his ammo just getting there, though, Shepard would have to rely heavily on his biotic abilities to settle the score with the man he was after.

The room he entered was dark. It felt like a trap. As the door behind him closed, the lights in the room turned on, revealing a giant mech, the likes of which Shepard had not seen before. It was even larger than an Ymir mech, though seemingly similar in shielding and firepower. It had glass panel in the center of it, that looked like a cockpit and at the seat of it was Fist, known crime lord and owner of Chora's Den. That is, until Shepard himself had put an end to it a few years back.

_You should never have come after me, Shepard, _Fist taunted.

_It's over, Fist. Surrender now and I'll make sure they go easy on you. Nobody's been hurt so far, _Shepard threatened.

_Oh yeah? And you're gonna make me? I claim victory over superior firepower. What have you got? _Fist continued to gloat.

_You're not leaving me much of a choice here, _he retorted.

_I've been waiting for this for a long time now. _The mech's guns started whirring. Shepard run for cover, behind a tall concrete pole. The bullets rained upon it, removing large chunks of it. It was crumbling fast. As the weapons overheated, Shepard run during the short reprisal, to a safer place.

_You're a dead man, Shepard, _Fist screamed, Shepard's name rolling of his tongue slowly. The mech, besides the standard accelerated cannons, also had a rocket launcher installed. It was common in the YMIR mech, which Shepard had fought before, but he wasn't familiar with this model. When he saw the concealed rocket launcher open up and ready to fire, he was overwhelmed with regret. Shepard had chosen to move towards a pair of crates to hide behind. He run behind the cover, as the missile blew them up. Shepard tried jumping out of the way, but one of the crates in the stack seemed to get propelled by the explosion, hitting him straight in the chest. The force of the hit slammed him against the wall and, while Shepard was still conscious, he wasn't going anywhere fast.

_This makes the wait all that much sweeter. Say goodnight. _Shepard raised a hand, but the merciless whirring of the mech's guns started again, as it moved closer to him. A huge blast seemed to hit the mech, shattering the glass away. Fist turned it around. In front of the room's entrance, Samara stood defiantly. Shepard tried to warn her, tell her to leave, run, anything. Samara gave him a short look, then turned back to the mech. Fist was ready to fire, but a dark silhouette fell, seemingly right out of the sky, landing on his head, knocking him hard against the bulkhead, leaving him uncoscious. The silhouette jumped backwards as the large mech toppled sideways.

Samara run towards Shepard, helping him up. _Are you alright, Shepard, _she asked worriedly. _Do you require medical attention?_

_No, _he answered. _Just got the wind knocked out of me, that's all. _Shepard moved close to the mech. _Always a pleasure to watch your work, Thane. _He took the Drell assassin's hand and shook it.

_As always, Shepard, _he replied, _the pleasure is mine. _Thane's now free hand reached into the cockpit and dug Fist out, throwing him at Shepard's feet. _So, what do we do with him?_

_He was never the question. We hand him over to the alliance and let them handle_ _him. What worries me the most is this mech. I've never seen it before._

_There are no distinctive markings on it. Seems like an advanced prototype, based on the YMIR mech, _Samara noted.

Shepard activated his headpiece. _EDI, _he called.

_I hear you loud and clear, Shepard. What can I do for you? _EDI's robotic voice chimed in his ear.

_Contact Anderson asap. Tell him we need a team of cleaners on my location. _Shepard paused for a minute. _This is bigger than I thought._

_I'm right on it, Shepard. Broadcasting your coordinates to C-Sec and councilor Anderson._

_Thanks, EDI_. He turned to his two comrades. _What took you guys so long to find me?_

_We ... started off tracing the path of destruction you had laid ahead of us. But the compound was just too big, _Samara started.

_When we heard the Cain go off, it was a dead giveaway, though. _Thane concluded.

_I'll keep that in mind next time. _Shepard looked around. Shrapnel and debris everywhere, a new type of mech to add to the list of things he's destroyed. _Not bad, _he thought to himself. _Everything seems to be in order here. I guess it's time we should go._


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3: Downtime_

It was mostly quiet in the lower decks of the Normandy. Shepard was certain Tali would disagree. She could detect noises from the eezo cores and whirring from engines of every sort, a galaxy away. He figured being raised in the flotilla warranted for something like that. Making his way to the mess hall, he found Jack behind the counter, fixing herself something up. _Jack, _Shepard said surprised. _What are you doing here?_

Jack didn't even raise her head. She had become familiar with his footsteps the past few months. _Hey, Shepard. Just making some Thessian tea._

_For me? You shouldn't have, _Shepard joked.

Jack snickered. _It's not for you, dumbass. It's for me._

_You? Tea? I find that hard to believe,_ he replied._ Where did you find it anyway?_

_Kasumi gave it to me. Said it's supposed to be high cal and it gives a little spike to biotic abilities. So it's something like Red Sand, without the chance of OD, _she explained. _Even if it's bullshit, it can't be worse than anything else I tried before, _she shrugged._  
_  
_What do you know about Red Sand? Ever tried it before? _Shepard asked, curious.

_Hell, yeah! First time was on my nineteenth birthday, sniffed Red Sand off an Asari hooker's 'Azure', _she elaborated. _Then that night gets kinda fuzzy, _Jack stammered._ All I know is that the club I was in, by the next morning, had an extension to the club next door, _she announced proudly.

_Care to tell me more about those days? _Shepard pleaded her. Jack's face seemed to lose its cheer, replaced by a very serious expression.

_There's really not much to tell, _she continued in a much more somber tone. _Why do you ask? _Seeing her worried expression, he placed a comforting hand on hers. Shepard knew, as much as the bad memories would hurt her, she was more worried what _he _would think.

_I'd like to know more about you, Jack. Good or bad, I don't care, _he reassured her. Jack pursed her lips together. She lowered her gaze and stopped mixing her tea.

_I was working for some smuggler at the time. Red Sand, Asari whores, credit laundering, the works. I was hired help, making sure the deals didn't fall through. Getting my kicks killing the competition. Too hooked up on sand to remember what fucking day of the week it was. They brought me all I needed to keep me complacent; alcohol, drugs, boys, girls. I remember waking up, day after day, and my mouth tasting like ass. Probably with good reason. _Jack looked up at Shepard. His eyes squinted, his face contorted, Jack wasn't sure if it was disgust or repulsiveness or something worse. _Look, Shepard, _she started, only to be interrupted.

_Should I expect something kinky tonight? _Shepard joked.

_You perv, _Jack chuckled, feeling relaxed again. The door to the battery chimed opened and Garrus Vakarian emerged. He was surprised to find people in the mess hall this late.

_Hey, didn't expect to find anyone around here at this hour, _Garrus said, passing that as his greeting.

_Hey Garrus, looking for someone to test your reach and their flexibility? _Shepard mused.

_Is that an offer, Shepard? _Garrus returned the jest.

_Wait, what the hell just happened? _Jack asked, feeling left out.

_It's nothing, _Garrus denied, shaking his hands in front of him.

_Just an old fling of Garrus, during his tour in the military. They had a little fight, then ended in bed together, _Shepard explained.

_Nice, Garrus. I knew that sniper rifle wasn't just compensating for something. _It was Jack's time to joke around. Garrus gave her a look as if saying '_Jack, please'._

_Anyway, has Tali woken up from the surgery yet? I'd just like to apologize to her, _Garrus explained himself_._

_I was in there a while ago. Tried to give her a tattoo while she was asleep, but Mordin shooed me out. I guess she's still sleeping,_ she frowned._  
_

_Alright, _he replied, content. _If you guys see her later, let me know. I'll be in the battery, _he motioned behind him, _probably calibrating again. _And with that he turned and left.

After dinner, Shepard returned to his room, for a much refreshing shower. Whipping off the grime from the fumes of the melted, blasted bots he had been fighting all day. It was also a relaxing way to prep for sleep. Having scrubbed and freshened himself up, Shepard walked out of the shower, wearing little more than towel. He looked around, then sighed, a little disappointed. _No kink tonight, _he told himself and went to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4: You're under arrest_

Dressing up was a fun little diversion for Shepard, after he woke up each day. The selection wasn't very broad, though. The casual outfit looked like something Jack would wear, if Jack were a guy. Which, considering how butch she acted most of the time, wasn't that far off. _Why do I like her again? _he thought to himself. He puffed. Next, was the Cerberus crewman uniform. It was undeniably comfortable and flexible, but Shepard hated that big, ugly Cerberus logo. _Not today, _he mused. The Cerberus officer uniform looked nice, but the collar was a real choker. _Yeah ... no, _he decided. Finally, he came up to the scientist uniform. Admittedly, Shepard wasn't a scientist, unless destroying private property was a science, and the uniform was rather tight, especially around the crotch area, but he really liked the gloves it came along with and the SR-2 patch on the sleeve. _Perfect,_ he concluded.

There was a small chime, as Shepard finished his preparations and heard Joker's voice. _Commander? _it asked.

_Go ahead, Joker, _he replied.  
_  
Councilor Anderson is on the comm, says it's urgent, _he stated bluntly.

_Patch him through, _Shepard ordered.

_Aye aye, commander, _he answered and went silent.

It took a moment before anything was heard again in Shepard's quarters. _Shepard? _Anderson's strong voice seemed to boom in the otherwise tranquil room.

_Councilor Anderson. What can I do for you? _he wondered.

_I'm afraid I'm not here to chit-chat, Shepard. There's something important we need to discuss, _Anderson added.

_I take it this is about the manned YMIR mech I fought yesterday, _Shepard proposed.

_No, _he dismissed him, _but about that; we found no trace of it anywhere._

_What? _Shepard exclaimed, shocked.

_C-sec ran a clean sweep of the area. There were traces of battle, they even found a corridor that seemed nuked, but not a single chassis or droid and certainly no mech the size of what you described, _Anderson informed him. Shepard felt dizzy. He went to sit down on his desk and tried to collect himself. Who could have gotten there in the meantime? Who had the resources and the manpower to pull something like that in such a small amount of time? _But like I said, that's not what I called you for. You've got more trouble heading your way, _Anderson continued. _There was a murder in one of the apartment buildings in Bachjret ward._

Shepard raised an eyebrow. Murders happened all the time, even in Bachjret. This didn't seem too out of place. Why did it concern him? _I don't see how that has anything to do with me, _he replied indifferently.

_The victim had your name carved on his chest, _Anderson concluded. A gear clicked in Shepard's head. He checked the messages on his private terminal. _Now, i know this-_

_Son of a bitch,_ Shepard, interrupted him, outraged. _Son of a bitch, _he shouted again and again, jumping off his chair.

Anderson was quiet for a while, waiting for Shepard to calm down. _Son, is there something you need to tell me? _Anderson asked in a calm, almost fatherly tone.

He ran his hand over his face, trying to compose himself. _After I got Jack out of purgatory, I got an email from some guy, calling himself Billy, _Shepard elaborated. _He said he got a stray bullet from me on his attempt to escape and that he was going to make me pay. He'd, _he paused, taking in a deep breath to continue, _carve my name on his next victim, then try to come after me._

_This is important information, why didn't you relay this to me immediately?_ Anderson broke out, agitated.

_I didn't think it'd matter. So I hit some convict with a stray bullet, then threatened to do something about it, big deal. I had the Collectors to stop and plans against a Reaper invasion. Billy would have to wait, _he excused himself.

_But I could have looked out for something like this. I would have tried to contain it. Damn it, Shepard, _his voice was heard distantly, as if moving away from his com console.

Shepard settled himself down, back on his chair. _What's done is done. Now what do we do? _he turned Anderson for guidance.

Anderson could be heard shifting._ C-Sec wants you brought in for questioning. Seeing as how 'Billy' wants you dead, I think it'd be best if you remained there. Nobody knows what he looks like or if he's even human. If he comes after you, C-Sec will take him down._

Shepard's face seemed to contort. Tali would probably complain about how loud the whirring from his brain was right now. _We'll go with that, but I'm gonna work on something on my own as well. Joker, _he called.

_Yes, commander, _his voice chimed in, somewhat disinterested.

_Tell everyone to meet me in the communications room in 5', _Shepard ordered.

Tali limped her way in the Comm room, assisted by Garrus and Jacob, who sat her down on one of the chairs. She looked awkwardly at the two men and just nodded her thanks. Kasumi, seated across from her, made a low growling noise at her, imitating a varren's love call. Tali then shifted and tried to hide behind Zaeed. Shepard was too busy to take notice, Thane seemed too preoccupied with some sort of flashback, judging by the way his eyes seemed to move sporadically and Samara was still staring at the door_. _Legion, on the other hand, took particular interest in _Creator Zorah, _his eye followed her around intently, Mordin started making notes on Quarian mating rituals and Kelly was just biting her nail while seemingly more interested in ms. Goto.

Miranda had her gaze fixed on Shepard who was pacing around uncomfortably. _I'm sorry, but I don't think she's coming. Can't we start without her? _she prompted.

He sighed in response. _We can't. She's an integral part of my plan._

_What exactly is the problem, commander? _Jacob asked impatiently.

_I'll tell you all as soon ... _Shepard was interrupted by the door. Everyone turned to look at Jack.

_What? I needed to take a piss, _she explained. _And mascara takes time to apply. Just ask the cheerleader._

_Oh, that reminds me, _Tali interrupted, then fell silent for a moment. _I'm ready, go ahead, Shepard._

Jacob looked at her with a look of clear disgust, Mordin made another note, on quarian envirosuits this time. Shepard just put a hand on his face. _Jack, please take a seat so we can get this over with, _he proposed.

She took a look around the room, but the only available spot was between Mordin and Miranda. _I think I'd rather stand, _she retorted with a sneer.

_Fine, _Shepard started. _Alright, there's no beating about the bush for this one, _he huffed. _C-Sec has issued a warrant_ _for my arrest._

_What? _Garrus jumped. _That's preposterous, _he added, shaking his head in denial.

_How could this happen? Is this about the relay? _Jacob questioned.

_No, Jacob. This isn't about the relay. _Shepard activated his omnitool and the monitors in front of the seated crew members came to life. A C-Sec report appeared.

_This morning, at approximately 0700 hours, _EDI's voice explained, _a Turian diplomat was found dead in his apartment, at Citadel's Bachjret ward._  
_  
I know this place. It's close where I live, _Jacob interjected.

_Apparent cause of death, multiple stabbing wounds to the abdominal area. Mutilation of the bodily extremities followed postmortem. The name Shepard was carved on the chest, in all capital letters, while the victim was still alive, _EDI continued.

_What kind of sick mind would do such a thing? _Jacob wondered.

_All I know is that his name is Billy, _Shepard added.

Miranda's eyebrows contorted. _That isn't anywhere in the report, _she turned to Shepard. _How do we know this? _she asked, but he didn't seem to respond, just stare at her. Then, her face seemed to light up, as if the answer presented itself in front of her and, in fact, it did. _Billy from the email, _she concluded.

_Very good, Miranda! You __**have**__ been reading my emails, _Shepard noted in a mostly playful manner. Miranda shifted in response.

_That gives us very little to work with, _Garrus contributed._ I'll see if my father can-_

_There is no need for that, Garrus. There is one among us that already knows Billy._ The crew exchanged glances between them, except Miranda. Miranda knew who Shepard meant. And she hated having to rely on that person for a solution.

_Performed many experiments, Beeor, Bernis, Bertramp. Never a Billy, _Mordin defended himself.

_Knew a Billy once. Strange kid. He was supposed to be our scout in a mission to hunt this Krogan warlord. He drove us right into an ambush. It was a goddamn massacre. Billy died first. _Zaeed lowerd his head. _I was the only one to make it out alive, that day._

_Has anyone ever survived meeting you, Zaeed? _Jacob asked.

_You're still alive, Taylor, _Zaeed replied with a smile. This didn't help Jacob feel any more reassured.

_Jack! It's Jack,_ exclaimed an unsuitably jovial Tali. Jack was looking mostly disinterested, laying against the wall of the comm room, trying not to fall asleep and gradually losing, till the moment Tali shouted her name.

_Wh-what? _a verily stunned Jack asked. She looked around the room, waiting for Shepard, someone, anyone to disprove Tali's claim. _I don't know anyone called Milly. And stop staring at me like that, you fuckers._

_It's Billy and yes, you do. Billy is an escaped prisoner from Purgatory, the Blue Suns' maximum security prison,_ Shepard corrected her.

_Shit, Shepard. There were hundreds of people there. How the fuck do you expect me to remember one insignificant guy? _she defended herself.

_You don't, but your mind does, _he started.

_Very intriguing, _exclaimed Mordin happily. _Stimulation of the memory lobe through open brain surgery. Have just the thing. Results like Drell eidetic memory. _Jack took a couple of steps back, ready to run straight out of the room and take the first shuttle to the Perseus Veil. Shepard sighed, pinching the ridge of his nose.

_Nobody, _he stressed, _is going to do open brain surgery on anyone. _This helped Jack take a deep breath and relax.

_Ah,_ Mordin slouched, _most disappointing.  
_  
Shepard turned to Jack, a very serious look on his face. _There's a way to surface the memory without the use of machines. Liara showed it to me once before. And it can only be performed by an Asari._

Samara, who had her eyes fixed on Jack so far, snapped her neck toward Shepard. _You ... wish me to mind meld. With Jack._

_Yes, _Shepard stated bluntly. _It will store the memory in her subconscious. If she ever sees Billy, she will instantly know who he is._

_No way you're getting in my head, battletits, _Jack protested.

_Jack, _Shepard pleaded, _I can't do this without you. It all hinges on this._

She took a long minute, her gaze fixed on him. Everyone was tense. Jack was flushed with rage over this whole ordeal. She didn't want Samara fucking with her head, but on the other hand, Shepard making her such an important part of his plan meant a lot. It showed how much he counted on her. It eventually won her over. _Fuck, Shepard, _ she shook her head, _alright_._ Let's get this over with quick. Before I change my mind._

_Samara, __**just **__the purgatory memories,_ Shepard noted.

_Understood, _she acknowledged, then turned her attention to Jack, slowly moving closer, her body swaying almost like a concentrated, living fluid. _Clear your mind, Jack,_ her pupils seemed to dilate and contract at the sound of Jack's name,_ think of a large open space, a clear stream of water running through it. Everything you wish to know is within that stream, let me see it in your mind's eye, _her hands resting on Jack's ears, she closed her eyes.

_If you fuck with my mind, I'll k-_

Jack's threat was cut short as Samara's cry of _Embrace Eternity _echoed through the room, her eyes opening wide, marred by a color as dark as coal.

_Thank the Maker, she shut up, _an all too happy Miranda exclaimed.

Samara's eyes closed again and opened up back to their original colors.

_-ill you, _Jack finished, as the justicar withdrew her hands. _What, that was it?, _she rubbed the back of her neck. _I guess it wasn't that bad._

_Oh, trust me, it was beautiful,_ Miranda mocked. Jack gave her the finger in return.

_Alright, now that's over with, I'll give you your assignments. Garrus, Samara, the two of you will cover Jack. Go to Bachjret ward and investigate. Start with the Turian diplomat's apartment._

_Wouldn't Jacob be a better suit? It's in his neighborhood, after all, _Miranda cut in.

_Negative. Garrus has been in C-Sec for years. He knows the Citadel as well as anybody. Samara is a skilled bounty hunter, that should be explanation enough as to why I chose her. Add any more to the investigation group and it gets too crowded. Besides, I have another assignment for you two._

_I'm all ears, Shepard, _Jacob nodded.

_I want you to go to Omega. Take the Normandy and get Aria to talk. She will know about our serial killer. If he left Purgatory he'd have to buy a new identity. Omega is the closest place he could go for it and there's no way Aria was unaware of this. We need that information to trace his steps. Tali, I need you to create a bug for the C-Sec mainframe. Anything that goes through their files, I want it processed and fed to us._

_I'm on it, Shepard,_ she promised.

_Kasumi, you'll have to infiltrate C-Sec and plant Tali's bug. Her leg injury doesn't allow for strenuous work. Make sure it stays undetected._

_They won't even know I was there, Shep, _and with that she disappeared from her chair.

_Legion. I need you to get access to one of the Citadel terminals. Any news feed about Billy is just as useful as a C-Sec report. I want you to pass any processed results to Garrus when possible. Stay near Tali._

_If Shepard Commander reached the consensus, we will comply, _the Geth chimed.

_Thane, make sure nobody blows Legion to bits and Tali is just as safe. We don't know Billy, but Billy knows us.  
_

_My distractions will keep them safe, Shepard, _the assassin swore.

_Mordin, I need you to work on my defense._

_Defense? Defense for what?_ Jack demanded.

Shepard's eyebrows contorted. _I thought that was fairly obvious. I'm turning myself in._

_The hell you are, dumbass, _she slammed her first on the briefing room table. _How about this; we take this fucking ship, turn it around and get the hell out of here._

_That's not an option, Jack, _Shepard reprimanded her.

_Of course it's not. You have to go play king of the fucking boy scouts again, _Jack snorted. _I need to get fucking drunk, _she excused herself and stormed out of the comm room. It was silent for a while after she left. Even Miranda didn't feel like saying something mean about her.

_Alright, the rest of you go with Jacob and Miranda, _Shepard scanned the room. _Wait, where's Grunt?_

_He left right before Garrus and Jacob brought Tali, _EDI informed them.

_Where is he now? _Shepard wondered.

_Shepard, _a voice barked from the comm.

_Gardner? _he asked. The sound of crockery being smashed was audible in the background.

_Come get your damn Krogan out of my kitchen! He's eaten through my monthly supplies, _he chewed him out. In the distance, Grunt could be heard laughing and letting out a cheerful squeal of _ketchup._

Shepard looked around, awkwardly. _I should go, _he realized.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5: Settling in_

Jack was seated on one of the bar stools of the Dark Star Lounge for a while now. She was going through her third, maybe fourth bottle of batarian ale already. A bulky man came and rested himself next to her, leaning heavily on the bar. He was huge enough to pass for a krogan, if not for the lack of a headplate. He had fashioned his hair in some sort of a Mohawk, he wore a grey alliance shirt and dark blue alliance pants. A dog tag hang from his neck.

_Hey, Lola, _he prompted, admiring the ink around her midriff. Jack looked at him out of the corner of her eye and downed a shot that had managed to make its way to her.

_The fuck do you want, Pelvis CuntThrust, _she mocked, slamming the shot glass on the bar.

_Don't be like that, Lola. You looked lonely sitting here, drinking without a partner. Thought you'd appreciate the company, _the man retorted, clearly not daunted by Jack's remark.

_Thanks for the sentiment, _she nodded, _but my ass is already taken, Girth ManMeat, _she continued to tease him. The man seemed to be amused with Jack's knack for finding full names based on his manhood, as he cracked a smile at his new name. _It's specter property, _she concluded.

_Specter property, huh? _he started, before the realization hit him. That made the smile slowly disappear from his face and eventually get replaced by a rather serious look. _Wait, human specter? You mean Shepard? Oh, shit, you're Jack, _the man exclaimed.

His reaction seemed to interest Jack, especially since he knew who she was. _Looks like you have me in a disadvantage there, as I don't have a clue who the fuck you are, Squirt ThickWad._

_Listen, don't tell Shepard this ever happened. I'll ... I'll leave you to your drinking, OK?_ said the man, panicking and then getting lost in the dancing crowd. Jack shrugged it off. She had seen tons of weirder shit for this to even start to register.

Back in the Normandy, the group was starting to split up. Shepard had left to surrendered himself to C-Sec not too long ago. Garrus was having a chat with a few members of the crew in the CIC, his few belongings already packed in a duffel bag, slumped over his shoulder. Zaeed stood across from him with Jacob and Miranda forming a little rectangle, between the four of them.

_At least Anderson was kind enough to let you crash in his pad until this thing blows over, _Jacob noted.

_Not being able to return to the Normandy is going to be a problem, but my bug is only short range, so I will have to stay in close proximity to C-Sec either way, _Tali contributed, her voice resounding from the Normandy's com.

_How's the leg, Tali? _Miranda asked politely.

_I still can't put any weight on it, but Chakwas said it should only trouble me for a couple more days. The infection lasted much less than I expected it, thanks to Mordin's cure. Oh, by the way, Garrus?_

_Yes, Tali?_

_Maybe when my leg heals, I could drop by Anderson's apartment and we could have a little sparring match. You know, test your reach and my flexibility?_ she asked innocently. A look of utter shock was painted on Garrus' face, his mouth left half open and, seemingly, not breathing. It was all quiet for a moment between the talking group, till Tali spoke again. _Garrus? _she asked, simply.

_He can't talk now, love. He's too busy sweating like a salarian whore in a batarian prison, _Zaeed described colorfully. Tali could be heard laughing over the comm.

_I'm sorry, but after Jack told me the story, I couldn't help myself, _she excused herself.

Garrus lowered his head and chortled. _You got me good this time, kid. _Then, he raised it again and addressed the group in front of him. _Well, I guess that's it. Make sure the ship returns in one piece and tell Joker not to take it space drifting, OK?_

_Will do, Garrus,_ Jacob replied with a smile.

_Take care, _Miranda added, laying a comforting hand on his arm.

_Give that bastard a piece of my __goddamn _mind, Zaeed cheered.

Garrus gave one last nod to the group and turned to leave. Samara was already waiting by the airlock, probably lost in her own thoughts. _Samara, _he shouted, grabbing her attention, _let's go._

_How bad does a Salarian whore sweat?_ Jacob wondered.

_I've seen you work out, Taylor, and you don't sweat nearly enough, _Zaeed sneered and left for his quarters.

_I don't know what's worst. That he watched me work out or the fact that he knows how much I sweat? _Jacob asked Miranda.

_I don't know, _she answered him, _but he's right about one thing._

_Oh, yeah? What's that? _he gave her a meaningful look.

_You don't sweat nearly enough, _she replied with a smile and left Jacob behind too.

_What the hell, man, _he exclaimed, frustrated.

Shepard inspected his new quarters. He wasn't expecting much more than the bare minimum. Bailey had promised to make his prison stay as comfortable as possible, _all five minutes of it, _he had said, jokingly, trying to cheer him up. Well, it had been five minutes and he was still here. He slumped on the cell's cot and left to stare at the wall across him. He was all alone here. No EDI invading his privacy, no trying to catch Miranda reading his emails, no Joker being obnoxious, no Garrus, he sighed, calibrating, no Legion doing the robot, no Tali going keelah this and bosh'tet that, no Mordin singing, no Samara meditating, no Jacob doing pushups, no Zaeed being the only one to make it out alive, no Thane retelling his memories as if you were there, no Grunt to have food contests with, no Kasumi stealing his stuff, but the one he missed the most, was Jack telling him he was a dumbass. And it really didn't take him that long to realize he was one.

All the other times he had gone down to each of his crew members' quarters just to chat or sort through whatever was troubling them. _For once, _he told himself, _I'd like for someone to visit me instead._

_*Yes, that is James Vega trying to hit on Jack_


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6: Cluedo_

The turian diplomat's apartment was a mess. Whether it was from the struggle with 'Billy" or C-Sec officers, Garrus couldn't tell. _If it's the latter, _he noted, _C-Sec sure has gotten sloppier while I was gone. _Chairs and tables had been turned, documents spread all over the apartment and the bed was still stained with turian blood. No cleaning service would enter this place till the investigation was over. The stench from the dead body hang heavily in the air, in spite of it being taken away several hours beforehand.

Jack had been reluctant to come. She had no desire to help the dumbass with anything, after he flat out told her he was going to surrender. _King of the boy scouts, _she mused, _dumbass. When are you going to learn that playing nice doesn't pay off?_ She pulled up a chair that was turned upside down and just decided to sit this investigation out.

Samara was looking into some of the papers she had found scattered around the room, until she came across something interesting. _Garrus, _she grabbed his attention. _Our deceased isn't just a diplomat. He used to be a high ranking member of the turian judiciary system, _she added and passed on the papers she was holding to Garrus.

_Great,_ he huffed, _that adds even more people with a probable cause to want him dead._

_If we could cross-reference the list of people he convicted, how many of them do you think would have ended up in Purgatory?_ Samara pointed out.

_To do that, we'd need the Purgatory database files ... _Garrus started, only to be interrupted by Jack,

_Not gonna happen. I blew that place up good, _she prompted, in spite of pretending to only be half listening. _Can't take all the credit. I had help, _she added. She remembered all the times she and the boy scout had wrecked private and public property. She was mad at him, but she still missed him.

_... and his judiciary record from Palaven. I don't have the strings to pull that one, _he shook his head.

_It would have been a good lead, under better circumstances, _Samara conceded.

The turian marksman took another scan of the area. _There's nothing else here. If C-Sec went through his files, they already know our victim used to be a judge. Perhaps they can pull his record. In which case, Tali's bug should give us the information we need. Let's get out of here, before C-Sec finds us out._

They walked out of the building like it was nobody's business. Something, however, had been eating Jack up for a while now. Samara had gone in her head. She saw. Of course she saw, she was a Justicar. She prodded and looked and saw and she would _dispense justice_ on her as well. She needed to know what she saw. She grabbed her by the shoulder and twisted her around. Samara would usually react very differently, but she wasn't expecting someone from the group to approach her like that and she had no intention to hurt Jack.

_You're gonna tell me what you saw in my head and you're gonna tell me now, battletits, _Jack threatened her.

Samara looked at Jack with a confused look on her face. _Like Shepard said, I only went through your memories of Purgatory. If this is about the men that harmed you, I would be compelled to act as you have, _she reassured her, he voice calm and serene as always.

_Jack, come on! Samara isn't going to hurt you, _Garrus tried to cool her off.

_It's none of your business, bird. How do I know she isn't lying? How do I know she doesn't plan on killing me in my sleep, because I offended her code or some shit? _Jack's body started emitting a blue light, little flickers of lightning dancing around her. There was an intense light that shone between the two and the human biotic's body was sent flying for a few feet, landing roughly on her back. Jack groaned in pain. She felt a heeled boot being put down on her neck, making her breathing difficult.

_I know who you are, Jack, _Samara said, her voice nearly emotionless, her eyes again dilating and constricting as she called the human's name. _I have no intention of being your enemy. More so now that you're with Shepard. _She paused for a moment, fixing her gloves while still pinning Jack. Garrus in the meantime, stared dumbfounded over a breakout he didn't know how to contain. _However_, _if you wish this to change, it can be arranged, _she concluded, lifting her heel from Zero's neck and walking away.

Jack coughed, the sudden air intake hurting her lungs. Her turian comrade rushed to help her up. She shoved his hand away. _Fuck off, bird, _she turned him down and lifted herself up. _I'm going to get drunk again._ She walked away, leaving Garrus Vakarian alone and quite unsure of himself.

A few light years away from Omega, the Normandy was slowly making its way through space. It wasn't often that the comm room was used to the extent it had been used that morning, well morning as far as space goes. It was even more unusual to hold a second briefing on the same day. Again, day as far as space goes. Miranda Lawson, Jacob Taylor, Urdnot Grunt, Zaeed Massani and Kelly Chambers had all gathered to discuss their tactics once on Omega.

_We need to approach Aria directly. She already knows we're here and why. Going behind her back is only going to make Aria come after us harder, _Miranda explained. _However, we want to neither appear weak, nor too intimidating._

_So we just show up on her door, acting casually, asking for data on anyone that arrived on Omega via shuttle the past month? _Jacob shrugged.

_No, _Miranda retorted_. Aria spends most of her time in her club, Afterlife. We'll meet her there, like we've always done. Only this time, there is no Shepard._

_Shepard knew how to handle the purple bitch. She'd always spill her guts when he came around,_ Zaeed explained.

_But I know Aria just as well. She likes to talk to the man in charge, no middle men, but we can't do that while Shepard is grounded. We need a delegate, _she concluded.

_So you're going to go head to head with Aria? _Grunt asked with a smile on his face. _I can't wait to see the fireworks, _he laughed.

_As much as I'd like to comply to your fantasy, Grunt, I can't. I'd be perceived as too threatening. We need someone more calm and diplomatic, _Miranda corrected him.

Kelly felt a current pass through her. _You want me to chat up Aria?_

_Yes, Kelly. That would be best. You won't be going in alone, though. Zaeed and Grunt will be with you the whole time and Jacob will be in close proximity. I'll be monitoring the situation from the Normandy, so if anything goes wrong, we all have your back. All you need to do is get her talking, just get a little friendly. You can do that, right Kelly? _Miranda asked in so innocent a way, it almost came off as naive._ For Shepard, _she pleaded.

Kelly beamed. _Sure! I can do that, _she nodded eagerly.

_Alright, I guess this wraps it up nicely then. We've got a few hours till we hit Omega, but after that it's crunch time. So ... dismissed, _Miranda concluded. The biggest part of the group left the room noisily, as prompted, but Jacob stayed behind. He walked next to her.

_There's something you're not telling them, _Jacob accused her.

_What makes you think that? _Miranda diverted his question, a forced smile on her lips.

_Miranda, we used to date. I know you well enough. You're hiding something. I just don't like being left out, _he tried to soft talk her.

_You're right, _she huffed after a small silence. For some reason, looking into his eyes, she couldn't lie to him. _Aria's been very compliant before, but she really had no reason to do so, other than she didn't want to anger Shepard. Now that he's in jail, there's no reason for her to work with us. We need to coax her._

_So what do you really have in mind?_ the security agent inquired.

_The Patriarch has been getting restless and ambitious since Shepard helped him last time. Aria thinks he's up to something. He's not. He's just remembering what it's like to be krogan. He's itching for a fight. Grunt will do just that. Meanwhile, the Blue Suns are asking for Zaeed's blood, after what happened to Vido and barking at Aria to set up a meeting. So we'll deliver him on a platter. Kelly is just an offering to Aria herself, _Miranda explained.

_So we're just sending our crew to a massacre. That's not a great plan, Miranda, _Jacob accused her, agitated.

_It wouldn't be, if I hadn't taken my precautions. I've asked a friend for help and I'll be ready for deployment as soon as the traps spring up for anything you need. I have it all figured out, _she reassured him. _You'll have to trust me on this one, Jacob._

Jacob shook his head at first, then pursed his lips together. It wasn't like he had a better plan. He looked at her in the eyes. _Alright,_ he conceded._ So who's the friend? Do I know him? _he asked, not in the least bit content.

_I think what you're asking is 'do I know him as well as I know you', correct? _she teased him.

_And if I am? _Jacob wondered.

_I'll let you decide when you meet him, _she concluded and left the briefing room.

Jacob took a long breath and heaved a deep sigh. _I need a cold shower right about now, _he mumbled to himself.

_You haven't sweat nearly enough for that, _Massani could be heard passing outside the door.

_Oh, come on, now. Seriously? _Taylor exclaimed agitated.


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 7: Loneliness_

The Normandy's armory was usually a quiet place. The only time it became really lively, was prior to deployment. Jacob would help, whoever was to be deployed, to gear up, suit up and out the door. The rest of the time, the only thing you could hear was the sound of Jacob's pacing or the clicking of gears as he worked on weapon maintenance. On occasion, between downtime, he would work out. Sometimes, he would work out just to get his mind off things. Like today. He hadn't thought of Miranda in a while. He had been avoiding to do so. He found her to be too distant and cold towards him, towards everyone, to be exact, but she had opened up. He couldn't quite place the change, maybe it was the friend, maybe it was Shepard, maybe she was thinking of him. It wasn't like her to tease Jacob and act all playful. He'd have to wait and see, but the answer couldn't come too soon. He took a break from his push-ups, paced around for a while. His head wasn't getting any clearer. _A hundred more, _he told himself and dived back to it.

One level bellow the armory were the quarters of former Cerberus operative, Miranda Lawson. She had removed the uniform she had been wearing and laid in bed in nothing more than her lingerie. She shifted and turned, but couldn't get comfortable. A very small thought had entered her head; _what if I fail?_ It had been a while since she was put in charge of anything. Six months ago, with the completion of the Lazarus project, she relinquished control to Shepard. While at first she was uneasy to trust someone who was, basically, dead to carry her through a series of dangerous missions and what was, without a doubt, a true suicide run, right through the center of the galaxy, in the most dangerous military installation for millions of light years around, but he passed with flying colors. How could she compare? How could she cope? When the expectations are so high and so much is at stake, how can you fail? Perfection was demanded and Miranda Lawson knew that there was no such thing.

The Normandy's cockpit was probably the liveliest place in the ship and it had been so for a while. Ever since EDI had helped Joker save the ship from a Collector invasion, the two of them had warmed up to each other, though Joker more so. Their usual conversation topic? Normandy gossip and movies.

_So you're saying that Vael'Nita was a much better love interest than matriarch Sinezia, _Joker summarized.

_I'd have to say yes, _EDI chimed.

_What? Vael'Nita had no presence. She was just ... the mask. See, this is the problem when you cast a Quarian for a romantic interest. And she was nowhere near Balsto's league. They tried to make her this mysterious femme fatale and totally blew it. She couldn't impose herself over a bowl of souffle, _he explained.

_And that makes Sinezia the better choice? They made her half krogan so she could be a believable co-star next to Blasto, but that completely cancels out anything feminine about her character. Not to mention that, as a matriarch, she has no place going on an adventure. It's too late in her life cycle, _the AI defended its opinion._  
_

_Fine, whatever, _the pilot dismissed with a sigh._ So, best villain in a Blasto movie._

_Oh, definitely the krogan warlord, Rugal. He was so believable and complex. Especially for a krogan, _EDI justified her preference.

_Yes! I know, right? Its like, in every movie they throw out this token krogan as the bad guy and never explain his motives or develop his character, because he's a krogan and, yeah, he __**is **__menacing, but Rugal? _Joker whistled. _Wow! Whole new ball game.  
_

_However, a quick extranet search indicates that most Blasto fans consider Kalen Tiverius to be a better villain than Rugal._

_Yeah, I kinda see it, but not really. I mean, Tiverius was a really smart guy, but he didn't have the imposing presence of Rugal and he didn't stand a chance against Blasto in a fight. You could tell the moment you saw him and they did nothing throughout the film to change that. It's just wasted potential, you know?_

A few levels below, near engineering, Urdnot Grunt was preparing himself mentally for his first fight without his krant by his side. In spite of having fought many times before with the people he was with on this very ship, one stabilizing factor was missing. Shepard. Together they had fought, tooth, nail and headplate against anything this galaxy had to throw at them and they always came out on top. This time would be different. Should he lead? Should he follow? The squishy brunette woman showed confidence in her skills, but she didn't command that from him. Why shouldn't Grunt lead? He had taken down a thresher maw on foot, a feat not seen since the young days of Urdnot Wrex, now leader of every living krogan on Tuchanka. He would follow, for now, but if push came to shove, he would demonstrate what being krogan meant, tankbred or not. A smile formed on Grunt's face, amusing the thought.

Zaeed Massani was hard at work. Jessie, his favorite old banged up avenger rifle had been sitting, collecting dust for far too long. Some time ago he had ordered a great deal of parts to make it work again. It wasn't easy tracking them down and it wasn't cheap either. Part after part, though, Jessie seemed to be coming together, alive once more. Pleased with his work, Zaeed cracked a smile. Placing the final piece, Jessie was ready to kill once again. He could hear her accelerated barrel whir, waiting for that sweet thermal clip to be inserted. _Not yet, you thirsty bitch. Tomorrow._ _Tomorrow you'll drink so much, you'll fucking drown._

Her back hunched against the wall, her legs outstretched, Tali looked around at the people around her. She didn't mind the people that didn't look at her. She was far more content with them, than the ones that stared. She remembered and hated the stares. Like she was an impoverished drifter, carrying disease wherever she went and bringing nothing but misery. Shepard had changed all that. He had given her a home, found her a gift to bring back for her pilgrimage, took her on an adventure and even cleared her name. Between her people in the flotilla and the crew, everyone was family. Outside the Normandy, left alone on the Citadel, Tali felt lost. She looked behind her and to her right. Legion stood there, stoically, hooked up on a terminal, silent. _You're no help at all, _Tali muttered to herself.

It had been a while since Legion had contacted the rest of the Geth collective. Running through millions of programs, interfacing with the thousands of public access terminals the citadel provided, the Geth had never been this detached. He waited for a voice, an echo, a remote runtime to interface with. It was as if he stared down the darkness of space and he saw not a single star shining back. Legion tried to find a definition for it, but could not reach a consensus.

On the railings above, a drell assassin of no small renown was having to babysit a partly incapacitated quarian and a machine he was not particularly well acquainted with. He had more important things to look out for when he was on the Citadel, but the two he was charged to protect, were imperative to his mission. Things were quiet for now. The last C-Sec officer that tried to shoo Tali away, had been led on a little bread crumb trail over a lost credit card chit. It would take her about 24 hours, Thane calculated, if she was smart enough. There were so many things he needed to do, so very little time left to do it in. Time was precious, too precious to spend it alone. Like he had done earlier that day cycle, in the briefing room, he brought back in his mind's eye the memories of the times he'd spent with his son. Wherever he was, Thane would never be alone.

Not too far away, but hidden even to Thane, Kasumi was playing with a greybox. Keiji's greybox. Containing every bit of memory he ever had, Kasumi would frequently get lost in it. She could watch, but never relive the memory. The scent, the feel, the beating of her heart, it was all gone in the reproduction. All it ever would be, was a photograph of a memory of something that died long ago. Kasumi Goto was one of the best thieves the galaxy had ever seen. There was one thing, though, that she could never steal; her heart back.

The quirky mind of Mordin Solus had found solace in the thought that commander Shepard appreciated him more as a scientific mind, than a field soldier. He felt honoured to work on Shepard's defense. In spite of being trained for the STG, a salarian spec-ops squad, similar to the human equivalent of the N7 program, Mordin was far more keen on exercising his mind, rather than the fine art of killing. It was a fun distraction, of course, helped quite a few times to keep the blood flowing, _so long as it wasn't his_, he had mused more than once. Not everyone shared his sense of humour, though. _Note to self, _he thought out loud, _keep jokes to minimum._

All the meditating of her life couldn't help Samara. She had tried, but something kept her uneasy. Maybe it had to do with mind melding with Jack, or how she had tried to attack her. _Of course it did_, she reasoned, _but why? _The question returned. What did that violent woman do to her? What spark had it fueled to a fire that she couldn't put out? She had spent the better part of her time, since leaving both Garrus and Jack, wandering the citadel. When she woke up from her daydream, she found herself in front of a terminal. _Hello? _a voice came from it. She hadn't realized how she had done it, but somehow, she had contacted someone. She tried to speak, but she had trouble letting the words out. _Hello? _said the voice again.

_Falere?_ she choked.

_Mom? _the voice replied.

Walking the streets of Bachjret ward wasn't something Garrus Vakarian was used to. Not even during his C-Sec days did he come here. He would most usually be found either in lower Tayseri or Kithoi, stalking dark alleys for information. Still, it was a welcome change. He hoped that one day he would walk these streets and not have to wonder about the filth and corruption that swarmed beneath his feet, hid in the shadows, lurked in the back alleys. First, however, he would have to make sure that there would be a Citadel to walk in. With a reaper invasion looming ahead, he had to make sure that one man would be there to greet them when they came. Garrus knew he couldn't fail, what he didn't know, was how to succeed.

It wouldn't be the first time Jack would drink herself to sleep. With the man she was involved, she doubted it would be the last. Granted, of course, that she _was _Jack, this was something more akin to business as usual, rather than the exception to the rule. She had taken her boots off, a pair of black socks resting on them, and curled on Anderson's bed. She had procured a bottle of ryncol with her to bed this time. She needed something that packed a punch. She needed to feel numb. So far, it wasn't working. She had put her glasses on, to hide the mascara running down her eyes. That wasn't working either. _Dumbass, _she slurred, taking another gulp.

She took the dark vest she wore, off her and threw it away from the bed. She was pissed and unsettled. When alcohol or drugs failed to cheer her up, there were two things left she could try to fix her mood. However, since killing people was still considered widely illegal, she settled to give the other thing a go. She turned her omni-tool on and fiddled with it for a bit. It wasn't long before a video started playing on the monitor across from Anderson's bed. Shepard's specter inauguration. The last time she tried to watch it, she lasted all of twelve seconds before deciding it was a bad idea, but for some reason she didn't care now. She wanted to see him, without having to face him. _Dumbass, _she huffed. She put the bottle by the side of the bed. Her hands started going through the upper part of her body, rubbing it roughly. She felt one of her hands moving lower, finding its way under the fabric of her jeans and resting on the soft, wet flesh that hid underneath. Her twitching fingers caused jolts to go through her, her other hand tugging at the sheets while she gasped for breath. _Sh-shep-ha-ard, _his name escaped her lips as she climaxed. Feeling relieved, she laid herself back and turned to the side. Within a minute, dizzy from pleasure and alcohol, she drifted off to sleep.

In the darkness of a C-Sec cell, Shepard was having trouble getting comfortable. Truth was, as hardened as he was, he had grown accustomed to the soft bed, the sheets, the tranquility his aquarium prov-

_My fish! _Shepard jumped. _Oh, that's right. Kelly's still in the ship, _he heaved a sigh. _Never been so happy I bought someone dinner._

He turned around on his cot and now assured that his fish were going to be fine, Shepard fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter 8: Leadership skills_

It was a pleasant and unexpected surprise when Shepard found out that, in the cell across from him, Kolyat was waiting patiently for the time he would be released. It helped break the monotony and also gave Kolyat the chance to learn a bit more about his father and what he was doing for the galaxy. There were a lot of things the young drell still didn't understand and even more that he refused to, but he was slowly opening up. Despite the pain and neglect, he still wanted his father to be someone he could look up to.

_So there I am, _Shepard went on the retelling of his latest exploit, _out of ammo, Samara about to get gunned down by the giant mech and then this dark thing falls right out of the sky, knocking Fist out, toppling the mech and landing without so much as a sprained ankle. And who else could it be, other than Thane?_

_You make him out to be like such a hero, Shepard, _Kolyat interjected. _It doesn't sound anything like the man I know._

_I may be over glorifying him, yeah, but Thane isn't a bad person. He is just as lost as the rest of us. He cares deeply about you, _he tried to explain, but Bailey's voice sounded from the other side of the corridor.

_Shepard, you have a visitor, _Bailey interrupted them. _So move a bit further away from the door, will ya?_

_Sure thing, Captain,_ Shepard replied and turned one last time to Kolyat. _We'll talk more later, OK?_

_I'll try not to get lost,_ Kolyat added with a smile before moving back from the bars of his holding cell.

Shepard took a few steps back and went to sit on his cot. Although there was a second one in his cell, right next to the door, on the north wall, Shepard had chosen the bunk on the east wall as his sleeping spot. He chose it mostly because when the lights would turn on in the morning, they would be softer on his eyes. It was a small comfort.

When Garrus Vakarian showed up on his door, he wasn't taken aback, but he was hoping it would be someone else coming to see him. However, he did remind himself that said someone wasn't very fond of holding cells. _Hey, Shepard,_ the turian marksman hailed him and walked in casually to sit on the other bed.

_Morning, Vakarian, _he returned the salute, then waited for the turian to start up the conversation, as it was clear he had something to say. For the most part, however, he was quiet. Garrus leaned forward, rested his two elbows on his knees, clasping his arms together, just over his mouth. He extended two fingers and opened his mouth to talk, but seemed to think it was a bad idea, as he changed his posture. Then he tried resting back, but it felt too awkward. So he turned to the side, one hand holding his waist, the other's elbow resting again on his knee, his middle finger poised and once more looked like he was about to say something, before leaning back, hands behind his head and legs stretched out. _Well? _Shepard asked impatiently.

_Are you for real? _Garrus answered with a question, finally.

_About what? _Shepard followed up on the barrage that had seemingly started.

Garrus popped up from his seat and started walking back and forth. _If you really cared, if you needed the information, you would have asked Liara about Billy. Then Barla Von would be on our doorstep within 15 minutes, hailing us. Instead, you have me on a rabid duck hunt while the Normandy flies to the other side of the galaxy._

Shepard couldn't help cracking a smile. _It's not called a rabid duck hunt, Garrus. It's called a wild goose chase, _he corrected him and then paused for a moment. _But you're right. I could ask the information from Liara, _he shook his head. _However, I did not and will not. In fact, I can't. _Shepard pulled a couple of bottles and glasses from under his cot. Poured one glass for him from one bottle and one from the other bottle for his friend.

_Isn't it a little early for a drink? _the turian wondered.

_Fuck it, _shrugged the first human specter in return.

_Careful, Shepard. She's rubbing off on you, _Garrus warned him.

Shepard laughed, serving him the drink. _I know, _he replied.

The marksman took the drink and raised the glass, before making his first sip. _So what's all this 'you can't' crap. You can't contact Liara?_

_It's a matter of appearances, _he explained. _I can't just stroll in the Citadel, walk up to Billy and knock him out. How's that gonna look?_

_I don't know, like you're the hero, maybe?_ Garrus smirked.

_You're not thinking politics. It's going to look like I was dissatisfied with an operative of mine and fed him to the wolves.__  
__  
Nobody's going to think that, _he protested. _Why would anyone think that?_

_I'm not sure yet, but I know it's no coincidence. We broke Jack out of Purgatory, what? Five? Six months ago? _he wondered, more to himself.

_About that, yeah, _Garrus contributed.

_It would have taken him a month tops to reach Omega. And then what? A few days to reach Citadel? So why now? Why after so long? __And this happens just as we captured_ Fist, the specter unraveled his train of thought.

_You're saying Billy is being manipulated? _he sounded genuinely worried now. He needed another sip.

_I'm saying someone's out to discredit me. Us. For personal gain. _Shepard joined the turian in taking a generous gulp of his drink. _We can't let any doubt linger over us._

_More people are going to die, _he pointed out.

_I know, _Shepard replied with a sigh. _Just like when I ordered the alliance ships to protect the Destiny Ascension. Just as when I fought on Akuze. Or when I left Ash to die on Virmire. And especially, when I destroyed the Alpha Relay. It will all weigh on me. Forever._

The two of them sat in silence. Garrus was feeling remorseful that he brought up the subject and gave Shepard a sympathetic look. _I'm ... sorry I brought it up._

_I need the reminder every now and then, _he shrugged. He took a step back and went for a refill. _How's the investigation going?_

_You want the truth or just to tell you that we've almost caught the guy? _Garrus replied playfully.

Shepard laughed. _I'll take the truth._

_Truth is we're not doing that good. Samara found a lead, but it was nothing we could work on. Well, unless we asked Liara, I guess. Then Jack got into a fight with her and both walked away. Jack got her pride hurt, but Samara, _he paused, _seemed like it really bothered her. _He raised his head and looked up at Shepard. _I'm not very good at leading them._

The commander took a long sip from his drink, Garrus following suit as well. _So Jack fights with someone and you think you failed as a leader,_ he scowled._ Jack fights with everyone. She fights with me, with Miranda, with Tali, she once got into a fight with Gabi and Ken, with Jacob, even EDI. She's fought with you as well. So why does it come of as such a surprise that she had a fight, not just with Samara, but with anyone?_

_What if I fail them? What if I end up loosing them, like I did with my team in Omega? _Garrus summarized his uncertainty.

_What if **I** end up loosing you like I lost my men on Akuze? _he retorted. _You can't go on like this. Learn from your mistakes and make sure there is no next time._

The turian shook his head. _We turians are usually calm, collected, confident. Natural born leaders. I guess when it comes down to it, I'm not a very good Turian._

Shepard couldn't help but chortle. He placed a hand on Garrus' shoulder. _I may not know what it takes to make one a good turian, but you'd make one hell of a human, _he said trying to cheer him up.

Garrus returned the sentiment. _Coming from anyone else, I'd beat them senseless, but from you, Shepard, I'll take that as a compliment. _He took a little pause, then continued, lifting the hand he was holding his drink with, one finger extended and pointing at Shepard. _You know who should never lead again? Ever?  
__  
_Shepard's brow contorted, trying to think who he meant. _Who? _he gave up, eventually.

_Woo! Wooo, yeah! Woo! _The turian made his best impression of Jacob Taylor.

A loud guffaw came from the first human specter, in a rather uncharacteristic manner. _I swear, I had no idea he was going to be like that, _he defended himself. _I would never have assigned him to lead the fire team, had I known that._

_What the hell was that, anyway? _Vakarian asked, curious and perplexed.

_That was just Jacob being black, I guess, _Shepard stated, as if that should explain anything.

_You mean like Anderson? _In spite of being well acquainted with Shepard, Garrus knew little about humans in general.

_No, not like Anderson, _Shepard clarified.

_Why? What's so different about him? He looks pretty black to me, _he inquired.

_Oh, well, he's from London, you know, _came the human's response.

Once again, it offered little in actually making any sense for the veteran marksman. _I have no idea what that means, but I'll take your word for it. _The omni-tool on his arm came to life. _What? _he quizzed, casually.

_Oh, I'm fine Garrus, thanks for asking, _Tali's voice chimed. _It's not like I didn't want to be stuck outside of C-Sec academy while you, Jack, Samara and Mordin enjoyed the luxury of the councilor's apartment. No, I love going through reports all day, as well. Enough about me, though, how was your day?_

_I'm sorry , Tali, _he tried to sound as earnest as possible. _We all know and appreciate the hard work you're doing. I promise to drop by and keep you company a little later, _he then took a small pause. _So, what have you got for us?_

_You're not going to like this. There's been another murder._ Shepard took a few steps back, the cheerful expression that was on his face no less than a second ago, now gone and went to sit on his cot._ C-Sec hasn't made it to the scene yet. It's just an early report from a maid, but she talked about mutilation and carvings. It sounds like Billy. If you get there fast enough, you can access the crime scene before it gets tampered with. I'm sending you the coordinates now._

_Alright, thanks, Tali._ Garrus got up, ready to leave. _We don't know it's him for certain, Shepard. It could be anyone, _the turian indicated, although not even he believed himself.

_Yeah, that's probably it, _the man from the bunk retorted.

_We'll have another, once this is all done and over with, ok? _Vakarian downed his drink before leaving, then took a look at the glass, surprised by the savory taste of the liquid it previously contained. _That's some grade A booze. Where did you find it? _he felt compelled to ask.  
_  
Part of Bailey's 'Make Shepard Comfortable' act. You should ask him, on your way out, _he remarked.

_Will do. Anything you want me to tell the others? _Garrus inquired.

_Yeah, _the human replied. _Tell Jack I love her. And I miss her. And she was right.  
_

The turian just nodded his head and left Shepard alone behind. As much as he hated doing so at that time, he really didn't have a choice, if he wanted to be of help.


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 9: Bad hair day_

It is unsettling enough, waking up in unfamiliar surroundings. For Jack, waking up in accommodations that are miles and miles ahead in comfort than what she was usually accustomed to, it was nearly frightening. If not for Mordin's voice coming from the next room, still working on his opening speech, Jack would have been hysterical. As it was, it only took her a minute to settle down and remind herself that she was in Anderson's apartment. The bed was grand and comfortable, the sheets, made of silk, caressed her body, as she moved under them, with an alluring softness. She wasn't one for luxuries, though. Jack was fast bored with it and jumped out, only to stumble on the bottle of ryncol she had left next to the bed the previous night.

_What the hell, _she told herself and brought it up, taking one long gulp after the other, until she could leave the bottle down empty. She hiccuped a couple of times and the buzz didn't take too long to hit her. It wouldn't last long, sadly, she realized. Her advanced metabolism would filter it out, clearing her head and sending her straight to hangover. She decided to look for that visor she had bought. She'd have to go out again and play detective, if Garrus ...

_Speak of the devil, _she murmured as her omni-tool seemed to pick up a transmission. She turned it on.

_Jack, we have another body. I'm on my way with Samara. C-Sec hasn't made the scene yet. Meet us there, OK? _the voice from the omni-tool seemed intent on splitting her head open.

_Yah, I'll ... I'll bee thur, _she slurred a response.

_Are you ill? _Garrus asked, concerned, after a small, yet overdrawn pause.

_Shuddup, Garr's! You're un t'talk, _she continued her nonsensical blabbering.

_Whatever, Jack. I'm sending you the coordinates, _the turian turned the communicator off.

The biotic's hand searched around for the visor. The buzz wouldn't last much longer, but it sure felt good while it did.

The door to the apartment opened and both Garrus and Samara were surprised to see Jack walking in. She looked pale and worn and had her visor on, despite the low lighting in the room. _So what's this big thing you got me out of bed for? _she mocked.

Garrus pointed out with his hand to the bedroom. _Why don't you take a look?_

She went towards the direction the turian had pointed her to. Into the room, she could see a human woman, her arms and legs cut down to ribbons, her face disfigured, her chest mutilated, her abdomen cut open, the intestine smeared all over the bed, even her genitals were carved open for everyone to see, from the ovaries to the fallopian, all the way to the uterus. Jack wasn't prepared for such a gruesome sight. She felt shock for approximately 3 seconds, before turning immediately to nausea. She hurriedly looked around for the bathroom and dove in as soon as she spotted it. In the room next door, Garrus and Samara could hear her coughing and hacking erratically.

_She didn't sound that good when I talked to her earlier. She might be coming down with a human flu, _the marksman conveyed his assumption to Samara.

_I'm not sure. Shepard had been spending an increasing amount of time in her company. I've heard that human females tend to get sick during the first three months of pregnancy, _the asari relayed her estimated guess to the turian.

_Jack's pregnant? _Garrus shouted, nearly panicked. The flush could be heard from Jack's direction.

_I'm not pregnant, _she shouted, before coming out to join the other two. _Hell, we haven't even had sex yet, _she concluded, more a complaint on her part, rather than a statement. _Yeah, yeah, I know, hard to believe right? Fuck you, _she preemptively bashed on them both.

_Right, _Garrus retorted after a moment of hesitation. _So, on to our findings. Samara? _he passed.

The asari nodded her head and started. _The human woman was an acolyte of Sha'ira. No political contacts, no known links to the turian diplomat that was found dead yesterday. Same method of operation, although it lacks the carving of Shepard's name onto the victims chest. As per the email, 'Billy' only clarified carving the name on his first victim. One of us should approach the consort and see if our two victims had come into contact regularly._

_I'll do it, _Garrus offered. _I promised to visit Tali once I got the chance and she's on my way._

_I think it'd be best, if I did,_ Samara interjected.

_Are you sure? _the turian double checked.

_I am acquainted with the consort, _she clarified. _It would be more prudent, if I was the one to approach her._

_Very well, _Garrus conceded. _Jack, is the bathroom clean? We can't leave any evidence of being here behind._

_I flushed, OK? _she barked at him.

_Then let's get out of here before C-Sec finds us and pins the murder on us, as well as Shepard, _the marksman pointed out.

As the group was about to leave, Samara raised her hand in front of Jack, halting her. _You are not going to attack me this time?_

Jack knocked her hand out of the way. _You wish, battletits._


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 10: New and past affairs_

It had been many years since the last time Samara had walked these steps that nestled in to the Consort's Chambers. Waiting at the entrance, just as she always remembered, was Nelyna. The young acolyte beamed as soon as she saw the Justicar visit. It had been many cycles since her last visit and she was convinced that the asari veteran would never return.

_Samara, _she exclaimed joyously, _it feels like an eternity. It is so good to see you again. To what do we owe the pleasure?_

_It is good to see you too, Nelyna,_ Samara returned the gesture, _but my visit is one of necessity, not pleasure,_ her gaze drifting off to the entrance to the inner chamber_ . You have learned of the fate of the human accolyte?_

_Yes, _Nelyna lowered her head. _It is a tragic_ _thing that befell her. She was like family, in spite of being different. _She looked back up at Samara, curious as to why she was involved. _Are you investigating her death?_

The Justicar's attention turned back to her. _Yes. Her murderer is after Shepard as well._

_Shepard? Is he with you? t_he young acolyte's eyes darted left and right, trying to catch a glimpse of the commander.

_No, _she replied, apologetically. _He is ... unavailable at the time. Nelyna, I need to talk to Sha'ira. Shepard's freedom may depend on information only she can provide._

Nelyna pursed her lips._ I don't know, _she started, _but I'll see what I can do. For the commander. _Nelyna walked away from her post and seemed to talk to herself. It took her less than a minute to return. _She will see you now, _she nodded. _The consort is very pleased with your return, Samara and_ _wishes that you visit her more regularly._

Samara nodded back and went for the inner chamber. Sha'ira stood across the room, with her back turned to the door. _I did not expect you to come back here again, _the consort finally responded.

_After our last talk, neither did I, _Samara spoke calm, collected.

_Tell me, what changed your mind? _the consort turned around to face her.

_I'm investigating a murder. One of your acolytes died today, _the justicar disclosed.

_I know, _Sha'ira replied in a more somber tone. _But I was expecting a certain ex C-Sec officer named Garrus Vakarian to show up on my doorstep. Not the famed justicar. So my question remains, what changed your mind? _the consort moved dangerously close to Samara, then locked her hands with her.

The biotic's body flared with blue lightning and the consort was forced to release her grip. _It was a mistake coming here, _she noted and stormed out. She could hear Nelyna's voice behind her, as she left the chambers, but Samara didn't care anymore. Whatever it was that she needed to find to reclaim her peace of mind, she wasn't going to find it here. There was, however, another ...

It was a loud thump that made Tali realize someone was sitting next to her. Absorbed in an ocean of her own thoughts, sounds covered by the elevators whirring and not really expecting anyone familiar to show up, she was really startled to hear something so close. She turned around to see Garrus Vakarian slumped against the wall, hands stretched out. _Hey kid, did you miss me? _

_Garrus, _the young quarian exclaimed, lunging at him.

_I told you I'd visit, _the marksman reminded her, trying to calm her down.

_I'm sorry, it's just so nice to see a familiar face around, _Tali tried to regain her composure.

_What about Kasumi and Thane? Or Legion? _Garrus wondered.

_Those two drop by from time to time, leaving me food or something to drink. Legion just spends all its time hooked up on that terminal._ In spite of that, Legion's headlight seemed to register the conversation and followed Creator Zorah closely._ Ooh, nutrient paste, _Tali exclaimed seeing her new finding next to her. _Thanks, Kasumi!_

_Actually, it was Thane this time, _she corrected, materializing in front of them, then disappearing again.

_That's just too creepy, _Garrus noted. _So, how's the investigation going?_

_Not very good, I'm afraid. So many reports, so many crimes, I've got Legion working double duty, trying to sort out the things related to Shepard. And there's a lot relating Shepard,_ Tali sounded desperate. _Was it like this when you worked in C-Sec?_

_I didn't have to waddle through everything, but the sinking feeling was just as prominent, _the turian explained. _You shouldn't feel so let down, though. That lead this morning was an incredible find. _Though Garrus couldn't see it behind the mask, he was certain that Tali was smiling. _Seems pretty quiet here, _he added after a long pause, trying to change the subject. _I hope nobody troublesome bothered you._

_Oh, all the time,_ she complained._ I get at least three officers per hour telling me that vagrancy is a crime. They don't stay long, though. Always something seems to happen and they just wander off somewhere. _Tali seemed to be getting angrier, her fingers tightening up to a punch, her arms shaking. _I'd just like to pull my shotgun on one of them and 'boom'! Vagrant this, bosh'tet, _she re-enacted as vividly as possible.

Garrus burst into a loud laugh. _Alright, kiddo, no more Blasto for you. In fact, I think I should confiscate this shotgun as well, _he said as he tried reaching behind her back.

_That's my lucky shotgun, _she objected, turning around, smacking her head on his, knocking him to the side.

_Ow, _shouted the turian, rubbing his aching head. Opening his eyes, he noticed a domed purple plastic thing on the ground next to him. _What's this? _he wondered out loud. He saw Tali's arm reach for it, just as his was about to do the same thing. It was then that he noticed that the mask's visor had popped out, letting her face in plain sight. Garrus felt a shiver go down his spine, same as the time she had joked about his reach. _Hey there, beautiful, _he added as Tali popped the visor back into place.

She turned her back to him, arms crossed. _This isn't how I imagined it to be. I always thought it would be more ... romantic._

_I don't know, _the ex specter disagreed, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her over his one leg, placing her in his lap. Though Tali was surprised, she didn't protest. _I think it was pretty innocent, but in a cute and unexpected way. Spontaneous. It think it's just, _he paused for a moment before concluding. _Us, _he finished.

_Us? _she asked disbelieving.

_Us, _Garrus reaffirmed. He buried his face in the back of her hood.

Tali seemed to jolt up, then turned around to look at the turian. _Did you just kiss the back of my head?_

_N-no, _he stammered.

The two glowing lights that were once again hidden behind the purple visor appeared to constrict, as if squinting her eyes. _Liar, _she accused him.

_Yeah, yeah, _he admitted.

Tali settled herself back in his embrace. _Do it again._

Bailey's voice resounded again in the C-Sec holding cells. _Shepard, visitor._

Shepard scoffed, _I can't seem to catch a break with you, _he told Kolyat, the young drell retreating back to the dark confines of his cell, a hint of a smile on his face. Shepard then walked back to his cot. _I sure hope this isn't Garrus Vakarian, _he shouted out meaningfully. He couldn't have been more wrong at his assumption, or more surprised by his visitor. _Samara, _he said in a hushed tone, nearly disbelieving.

_Shepard, _the justicar replied the greeting, then going to sit on the bed across from him.

_How can I help you? _the human specter asked.

_You once said that we shared a connection, _she started. _Do you still believe that? _she inquired, her deep blue eyes fixed on him.

Shepard straightened his back and laid against the wall. _Ah, sure!_

_Then perhaps you __**can**__ help me, _she explained, but talked no more.

_Alright then, just fire away, _Shepard prodded her.

_Something is changed within me. Ever since I mind melded with Jack, _and there went her pupils again, dilating and contracting at the sound of the human biotic's name, _I have been uneasy. My meditating does not seem to hold effect. I'm having thoughts that distract me, preoccupy me. And it all seems to come from her. The memories. Hate, violence, insecurity, guilt, lust, _the asari veteran warrior confided in him.

_Did you try talking to Jack about it? To explain it to her?_ the specter proposed.

_Yesterday she tried to attack me, _the justicar informed him.

_I told Garrus the same thing; Jack fights with everyone._ _Don't try to read too much into it, _he tried to excuse Zero.

_It's more than that. She kills for pleasure and mates for power. She has little respect for life other than her own, _Samara started on a rant.

_Hold on a second. Are we talking Jack here? _he questioned her. _Or Morinth?_

Shepard saw Samara's eyes jumping around the room as if looking for something. She raised her head and fixed her gaze on him again. _Both, _she realized.

He took a deep breath and exhaled just as deeply, getting up from his cot. _She isn't your daughter. Jack will never be like your daughter. As much as you hated her, respected her, loved her, reviled her, Morinth isn't coming back. Not in any shape or form that you will be familiar with, anyway. You, however, are alive. You can make up for things. You can make them right. Jack is young and powerful. It is a dangerous combination. We humans, in that age, tend to believe we will live forever. It makes us lose sight and focus. I can comfort her spirit, but I can't teach her the things you know, what you've accumulated over the centuries of your life. That's up to you and her._

She still had her eyes fixed at him. She got up from her seat and walked towards him. _Coming to you was the wiser choice. Thank you, Shepard. I will meditate over your recommendation._

The specter moved closer to Samara, taking her hands in his own, gently, softly. _Anything you need, I will be here for you, _he reassured her.

_I can only hope to do the same for you, _she replied. _Goodbye, Shepard, _she said and left the room.


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 11: Crunch time_

Sitting relaxed, waiting by the bar in Afterlife, wasn't exactly Jacob's idea of a mission. He had seen Kelly, escorted by Grunt and Zaeed go past him a few minutes ago and although he could hear the conversation going on, in Aria's VIP lounge, he couldn't get any more tense. Sure, Kelly was part of the crew, but she had no field experience. She would have to analyze Aria's mood and try to make her warm up. Jacob's idea of Aria? If Miranda could be a cold hearted bitch at times, _she_ had refined it into an art form. _Good luck with that, _he mumbled, downing a drink. As a biotic himself, Jacob too had all the perks of an advanced metabolism. A drink or two wasn't going to make him unfit for the mission. Plus, he'd be attracting attention as the only man in Afterlife not having a drink.

_Are you sure drinking this fast is a good idea, Jacob?_ Miranda's voice echoed in his ear.

_Nothing I can't handle. How did you know? _he inquired.

_Bio-readings from your omni-tool, _she clarified.

Things in the VIP lounge were tense. Aria didn't know what to expect of the situation. There was Zaeed Massani, that the Blue Suns kept barking at her for his blood, a twitchy krogan whelp, judging from his headplate, that she had seen with Shepard before, but then, there was this curious little redheaded thing in front of her. She wasn't sure what this one was supposed to be. She didn't seem threatening and she blubbered a lot. _Shepard must have fucked her sideways, _she thought to herself.

_Enough with the chat, _Aria snapped. _Tell me what you're really here for._

Kelly was taken aback with the asari's directness. After all, Miranda said to chat her up and if she couldn't do that, what was she supposed to do? _We've come asking for help. No doubt you've heard of the commander's predicament in the Citadel._

_Yes, _she replied. _None of my business._

_You do have valuable information, though, that could help Shepard. The murderer's trail shows that he came through here first. If you rely this information to us, we would forever be in your debt, _the yeoman pleaded.

_Fuck debts, _she barked. _I helped Shepard many times and all it ever did was get me more trouble than he's worth. So what do I get?_

One of Aria's bodyguards was staring at Grunt for a while now. The krogan had most certainly taken notice. He returned the gesture with a sneer. The bodyguard didn't seem too fond of that, as he went to stand in front of Grunt, pressing his gun against the krogan's chest armor. It was all he needed. Grunt headbutted the guard into unconsciousness. When the guns all pointed at them, he and Zaeed didn't even flinch.

_Shit, _Jacob swore, prepping his concealed gun.

_Wait! _he heard Miranda shout in his ear. _Give them 30 seconds. _The former cerberus agent complied, holstering his pistol and laying in wait once more.

_Please, _Kelly begged, reaching a hand out and grabbing Aria's knee. _There must be some way we can reach an agreement. How about we go through a list of demands? Anything you want._

Aria's face settled into a very familiar sneer, as she looked at Kelly's hand. The human girl, seeing how it unsettled Aria, withdrew it, as if she had placed it on fire. But the asari's face seemed to calm down, the sneer turning into a smile, as she focused back on the redhead. _This place is too noisy for deals. I have a, _she paused, as if thinking, _better place in mind._

_Shit, shit, shit, _Jacob murmured, squeezing the glass in his hand out of tension.

_Ten seconds, _Miranda reminded him.

_Yes, anything, _Kelly beamed, _as long as it helps the commander._

Aria gently placed her hand on Kelly's cheek. _You won't need your bodyguards where we're going, _she instructed her.

Kelly nodded in agreement, before turning to Grunt and Zaeed. _It's alright. I can take it from here._

The glass shattered to pieces in Jacob's hand. _She's taken the offering, _Miranda spoke into his ear.  
_  
__She's taken the what? _Jacob questioned.

_The offering, _Miranda clarified. _Kelly is the offering._

Jacob's face managed to look confused even in realization. _You don't mean ..._

_Yup, _Miranda concluded. _Kelly is about to break the one rule on Omega._ _She's going to fuck. With Aria._

_What about Grunt and Zaeed?_ he wondered.

_I don't think they'll be doing any fucking, Jacob, _EDI chimed in. The ex cerberus agent lifted his hands in frustration. The rest of the club, interpreting it as a gesture of him having fun, just cheered in accordance.

Grunt wasn't particularly pleased with being lead this way and that by people he didn't know, but he was doing this for Shepard. Miranda was convinced that Kelly would be able to get the information they needed. So far, it seemed like she was going to get herself killed. He hoped the redhead was battle trained. Zaeed had been taken to a different place earlier on, leaving him alone with one of Aria's bodyguards. The room was large and empty, for the most part. A table here, a chair there, but that was pretty much it. _Someone will be with you shortly, _the bodyguard, a turian called Grizz, told him, before leaving the room. Grunt took a sit in the chair, then decided to play around, tossing the table. It was rather boring, until the door opened. Another krogan showed up and Grunt remembered him after a small pause. _Patriarch_, he called him out.

_Grunt, _the venerable warrior returned. _Up for a fight? _he asked, pulling out a shotgun.

A smile gleamed off the tankbred's face. _I'm itching for it, _he replied, pulling out his own. Grunt seemed to kick himself into overdrive, his breath coming shorter and shorter, chortling, as his nostrils flared. The two krogan started emptying their weapons at each other, but seemingly doing little damage, the wounds healing themselves before either one got a chance to bleed out. Grunt did away with his shotgun, the Patriarch following suit. They each lunged for the other, grabbing any hold they could find from their armor.

_I. Am. **Krogan**_**, **Grunt shouted in a fit of rage. He picked the Patriarch up, slamming him against the walls of the room, making huge dents on the metallic hulls, the floor, even the ceiling. Trying to finish this as fast as he could, the tankbred krogan planted Patriarch on the floor and proceeded to headbutt him, till his headplate seemed to cave in.

In spite of the huge amount of damage done to his body, even his head, as Grunt walked away, Aria's krogan warlord didn't seem to be daunted, retaining a smile. _You're forgetting something, _he said, as the tankbread distanced himself. _I am krogan, too. _Patriarch's wounds started to seal up, bones knitted themselves back together and even the dent on his headplate seemed to reform to its proper shape. The battle starting anew, Grunt found himself hard pressed to keep away from Patriarch's ferocious attacks. Eventually, the young krogan found himself with his back on the floor, nearly choked to death by his opponent. Still, he fought hard and didn't give in. Patriarch searched for something to use and found his overheated shotgun. He reached for his gun and placed it over the tankbread's mouth, as he wrestled for another breath. Popping the heat sink, the thermal clip found itself into Grunt's mouth. The pain from the searing heat drove him insane. He slammed his fist repeatedly with overwhelming strength and conviction on Patriarch's face, slowly making him dizzy, then moving to barely conscious. Grunt spit the clip out, a piece of his tongue stuck to it, lifting the krogan up and tossing him across the room.

He felt a hand on his shoulder, so he turned around and punched the one that tried to grab him, only to be headbutted in return. His berserk rage subsiding, the haze from his eyes lifting, he saw yet another krogan, drenched in blood, his crimson armor shinning a brighter red, a series of scars running down from his headplate, all the way to his neck. This gave Grunt a reason to pause. _We're getting out of here, whelp, _Urdnot Wrex ordered. _ I carved a path from blood pack mercenaries just to get here. We'll need a second one just to get to the Normandy, _ he explained as a smile formed on his lips, _and it's not going to carve itself._

A few hours later, Patriarch woke up, healed of most of his injuries. Picking himself up, he stared at the destruction around him and approved with a condescending nod. _I am krogan and it. Is. **Glorious**_, he reminded himself.

_I can't believe you lost him, _Miranda chewed Jacob off.

_Well, maybe I wouldn't have if you hadn't be barking at my ear the whole time, _he snapped back, his patience running thin. The truth was, though, that he had lost Zaeed from his eyes, in spite of Miranda's instructions of the opposite. For a while now, he had been following a trail of screams, blood and bodies, trying to reach the mercenary. From the sound of it, he was getting close. _I think I'm there, _he concluded. _Has your friend reached Grunt yet? _he inquired, but didn't seem to get a response. _Miranda? _he asked again.

_She is apparently choosing to remain silent, agent Taylor, _EDI's voice filled him in.

_No shit, _he told himself, reaching a door where the screams sounded their loudest. _This should be it, _he prepped himself before diving in. The exchange of fire was heavy in the room, but he could see Massani not too far from where he was crouching. With a couple of lunges from cover to cover, he made it next to Zaeed who looked at him as if he was the most absurd thing he had ever seen in his life.

_Taylor? What the bloody hell are you doing here?_ The mercenary demanded._  
_

_I'm your back up, _the former Cerberus agent screamed._  
_

_Back up?_ Zaeed retorted, tossing a grenade to a couple of blue suns that seemed to go off in a loud bang with just a cry of _'oh shi-aaaaaah'. _With a few seconds to spare, Zaeed turned to Jacob once more. _What part of 'I was the only goddamn one to make it out the fuck alive' did you not understand?_

Taylor stared at Massani for a moment like a 4 year old that just heard Santa wasn't real, then looked back at the exit, then back at him. _I should go, _he remarked before making a hasty retreat.

_Kids these days, _Zaeed remarked, shaking his head, before jumping out of cover with a loud roar, firing Jessie as fast as he could.

Out in the hallway, Jacob saw a small band of Blue Sun mercs making their way through, trying to flank Zaeed. With no cover and little equipment more than a concealed pistol, he felt under-prepared for this little skirmish. The mercs seemed to talk with each other for a minute, before one of them pointed the rest towards Taylor. It was all, however, over in a minute as a small blue orb seemed to lift the group in the air, while blue bolts of ligthining flew at them, decimating them on the spot. Jacob turned around to see where all this was coming from. Another man, this time dressed in alliance blue stood there, the strain visible on his brow, trying to catch his breath. _We met on Horizon, _he explained. _I heard you needed help. The name's Kaidan. Kaidan Alenko._


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter 12: Best hope_

Councilor Anderson's apartment wasn't usually a lively place. Mordin, however, had managed to turn it up quite a bit as he went on and on, over and over, again and again the speeches he had prepared for Shepard's defense. Trying to come across every logical scenario, every counter argument and running through the list of evidence that Tali had managed to procure for him, finding a way to disprove every reasonable doubt of Shepard being involved in any way with the murderer. It was also rather fortunate that salarians never slept. His voice worked as a lullaby for the rest of the crew that resided with him, the familiarity of his voice creating the illusion that they were all still in the Normandy.

Amongst them, nobody would be more lively than Jack, the most powerful and promising biotic humanity had ever produced. However, she wasn't feeling up to her usual violent, unpredictable self. She felt helpless and trapped. There wasn't much she could offer to this group of investigators, hunters and scientists. Her best quality was hitting something as hard as possible and if that route failed, hitting it again, harder. There was, however, that one tiny detail that she was the only one that could identify the killer, but that brought her little solace. Coming across a specific someone on the citadel was as easy as finding a needle in a haystack.

Former C-sec and specter candidate, Garrus Vakarian was pacing up and down. He was upset with Samara's lack of information from her trip to Sha'ira's and the cryptic messages she answered his questions with, were anything but helpful. He sized her up one more time as he paced around the room, then shook his head. When his omni-tool lit up, as his hands were crossed behind his back, it came to him as a surprise. As he brought it up, he saw that he had an incoming transmission from the least likely individual, or, better yet, collective. _Legion? _he spoke into his omni-tool.

_Garrus Vakarian? _the robotic voice chimed.

_Yes, I hear you, Legion. This is unexpected. What have you got for us? _he inquired.

_We have been going through news feeds for most of this day cycle. After the consort's apprentice was found dead, a former STG member gave public statements over a number of networks. Seems that he was involved with the deceased. If the victims are related, then we have reached the consensus that he is the next probable target, _the Geth explained.

_That's some detective work. Try to find if there's anything linking the three of them directly. Transmit the salarian's ID and current location to me. We'll try to set up someplace close and wait for Billy there, while you verify the connection, _the turian appraised the situation. _We should ask Mordin if he has more information on this guy._

_We already have, _Legion interrupted. _His consensus was 'huge cloaca'_.

_Right, _Garrus remarked after an overdrawn period of silence. _Well, so much for that. Everything else, though ... thanks, Legion._

The Geth dropped the comm line, leaving the three investigators to think their plan through. _So what's the conse-I mean, what's the plan? _Jack was first to respond.

_We set up on a vantage point, clear surveillance of the area. Not too obvious. Then, we should lay in wait, until we spot anything suspicious, _Samara took the initiative. _We should inform the salarian that his life is in danger._

_That's a negative. If he acts anything out of the ordinary, Billy might grow suspicious and not pay him a visit at all. We don't want to tip him off. We just have to make sure we stop him, before he has a chance to hurt the victim, _Garrus repudiated her.

_Shit, bird. I think you got some Shepard on you,_ Jack remarked, obviously impressed with his determination.

The Presidium was a place of happening for anything of galactic importance. For that reason, it was always lit bright as day. Sha'ira's chambers were stationed there, as well as the embassies and, more importantly so, Citadel tower, a place where the council members would come together and confer on anything worthy of their attention. If anything criminal happened in Presidium, it was mostly white collar. It was as if the light itself held the darker sides of human and alien nature alike, away from this place.

In lower Kithoi, though, it was dark as night could get. Three lonely figures stood atop a roof, overseeing the ground bellow. They were silent and unmoving. It was difficult for Jack to contain herself like that. She wanted to pace about, but she was told not to, then she tried wasting some time with her omni-tool, but she was told that its glow would attract attention. She was sick and tired of this stakeout and it was becoming increasingly more apparent to her that the little toaster that could, had just fucked up.

_Look, over there, _Samara spotted something on the opposite roof, but didn't move from her prone position. She simply guided Garrus' already set up sniper to her point of interest.

_I see it, but I can't tell what it is. It's too damn dark, _the marksman pointed out.

_So how can we tell if it's Billy or not? _Jack asked.

_If it's someone, it could be anyone. It could be, _he paused, thinking it over. _It could be maintenance._

_Your voice lacks conviction, _Samara assessed.

_I can't just shoot him, not when I'm this blind, _he shook his head. _I have to be certain._

_How are you gonna do that?_ the human biotic wondered.

_I need a distraction. If it's nothing, then it won't move. If it's just some guy, then he will be surprised and try to see where it came from. If it's Billy ... he will go for cover immediately, _the marksman explained again.

_Won't Billy's hiding behind cover defeat the purpose of our stakeout? _again, Samara pointed out.

_That's why you girls are here. As soon as the distraction's made, he will know we found him. I will wait for him to show up behind the cover. He'll have to, sooner or later, but he may have an escape route. Nobody saw how he got up there. You'll have to find him, in case I don't, _he elaborated.

_We're wasting time, _Jack said, standing up. _So here's your fucking distraction, _she shouted as she released a biotic blast towards the dark figure on the roof across. She didn't hit it, it wasn't her purpose, but it seemed to know, as soon as the blue light started heading its way, that it had been discovered.

_Shit, _Garrus shouted as he saw the figure dive behind a large dark block before he could draw a beat on it. _He's fast. Go after him. Now! _The two biotics required no prodding. Jack was the first to start her run of the roof, jumping as hard as she could, blue lightning flickering around her. She slammed against the ledge and barely managed to grab a hold. Meanwhile, Samara seemed to make it across, levitating through air nearly effortlessly.

_Bitch, _Jack remarked and dropped on a terrace, on the floor below. Samara, on the roof above searched behind Billy's cover, only to find an open hatch.

_He's gone, _she informed the group. _Jack, he should be on your level._

_I'm on it, _she barked and dove into the apartment, shattering the glass doors as she went. A couple that had been watching her since she dropped on their patio, were terrified as she breezed past them and out the door. She looked around for anything, but the only clue she got was a noise coming from an elevator shaft. _He's going down and moving too fast. Anyone at the entrance? _Jack asked, her concern evident.

_I'm almost out, _Garrus' voice rang in her ear.

_I'll be there in 5 seconds, _Samara replied. The asari ran towards the side of the building and jumped off. After a few seconds in free fall and nearly ready to smack against the sidewalk, her body was covered in a biotic barrier that slowed her fall, allowing her to land safely and effortlessly on the ground. She saw Garrus run out of the opposite building, his sniper rifle tucked around his back, as she reached the entrance. She looked around, but found no trace of anyone else.

_Did you see him? Is he out yet? _the turian asked. Samara was about to shake her head when a loud explosion sent her and Garrus flying. It took her far more than a second to get back on her feet and the first thing she saw, was Jack hauling her up.

_Come on, we're losing him, _she prompted. The asari wobbled about for a few seconds more as the human seemed to run off in the distance, then rushed to follow her, her marksman companion already a couple of feet ahead of her.

_Who the hell, is this guy?_ Garrus wondered, barely making out Jack's figure in the distance.

_I don't know. All I made out were his chicken legs, _Jack remarked.

_Chicken legs? _the turian inquired.

_Yeah. You know, like yours, _the human explained.

_Billy's a turian?_ he stopped dead in his tracks for a second and that was all that Samara needed to overtake him. They followed Zero into a dark alley_, _but came to a dead end.

_Where did he go? _Samara asked.

_He climbed up that fire escape ladder faster than I could blink, then went over the wall, _Jack guided them over Billy's course with her finger.

_We need a short cut, _Garrus remarked.

_One short cut, coming up, _Jack cheered, her entire body flashing blue, then slamming her fist against the wall in front of her. Her power, when coming up full force, was something to be reckoned with. In the past, she had used her power to tear apart anything ranging from Ymir mechs, to bulkheads. The wall was relatively small time in comparison. As it crumbled around them, she rushed right through the dust and debris, continuing the pursuit, but blindly this time. _I can't see shit! Where the hell is he?_

_Up there,_ came Samara's voice from behind her.

Billy seemed to jump from wall to wall and stick to it with incredible accuracy and precision, not to mention agility. It reminded Garrus of the Geth he had come across before, the ones he had first encountered just after he had joined the Normandy, when he and Shepard had tried to rescue Liara T'Soni from them, but also a krogan warlord. He shook his head. _You're just trying to deny the fact he's one monster of a turian, _he told himself. _How the hell can he do that? _he thought out loud._  
_

_He can't climb it, if I tear it down, _Jack pointed out, ready to have a go at the building itself.

_I can't let you do that, _Samara stepped in.

_Out of my way, battletits. I'm doing this for Shepard and so are you, _she tried to shove the asari from her path, but she stood still.

_Not like this, _the alien tried to dissuade her. The sniper rifle already in his hand, Garrus fired a shot at Billy. The figure seemed to stop for a moment, the force of impact evident from its reaction. The figure wobbled, but stood atop the ledge it nestled in, then seemed to move inside.

_What is this guy made of? _he asked, more to himself rather than actually expect an answer. _He's inside, let's go, _he prompted them both. _I'm betting he can't go far after that_. He ran to the front entrance, Samara on his tail. Jack decided it would be best to just fuck it all and make a new entrance. _Head to the roof. It's the only other exit, _Garrus ordered the justicar.

_What will you do? _she asked.

_I'll try to get to Billy, before Jack does._

Jack was the first to reach the apartment Billy had crawled into. She readied her shotgun and walked to the door. It opened as she came close, the room behind it completely dark. Billy was careful. Never stepping out in plain sight, always keeping himself partially concealed. In spite of being the only one to catch his trail, Jack had not been able to ascertain his identity, never catching a glimpse past the shape of his legs. She thought she could see something now, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

_I see you, _she warned the shifting shadow. _Don't you fucking move or I'll blow you back to purgatory. _She saw the shape move and fired a warning shot. To her surprise, she saw the very air around her ignite, a gust of fire wind ready to consume her. Not even enough time to raise a barrier to cover herself and little more than her civilian clothing to protect her, she braced for a horrible end. That is, until something seemed to smack into her, sending her flying through the apartment next door and slamming her forcibly onto the ground. Fire tongues seemed to go in and lash at the ceiling for a few seconds, before dying out.

_Stop and smell the fumes, next time, _Garrus reminded her. At first, thinking it was just a euphemism for the turian being nasty, Jack grimaced in disgust at him. _Samara, _he beckoned.

_I'm on the roof, _she replied.

_Tell me you have a visual on something. Anything, _he pleaded.

_I ... I ... _she stammered.

_Come on,_ Garrus said, as he rolled off Jack and rested on his back, catching his breath for a minute. _Come on, _he pleaded again, but this time not saying it out loud.

_I have nothing. He may still be in the building, _Samara hoped.

_No, _he answered her, rolling his head. _This explosion was too good a cover for him to not make an escape. If he's half as good as I think he is, we lost him._

_We can't lose him,_ Jack snapped, picking herself up. Her head was ringing, her legs were wobbling and it hurt just to breath.

_It's over, _he stopped her, grabbing her by the arm.

_It's not over 'till I say it's over, now move, _she ordered him. She tried to shake his hand off, but he held strong.

_Jack, _he said softly as she kept struggling. _Jack, _he said again, this time louder, more commanding. _We lost him. Let it go._

She gave one last jerk of her hand and the turian just let go. She walked away, flushing red with anger. Garrus had no more fight left in him for the day. He had been nearly blown twice in the past hour, had to run through half of lower Kithoi and keep in check the galaxy's most unstable biotic. The universe could go to hell for the next half hour, he was just gonna lay there and rest. Their best hope so far, had proved fruitless.


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 13: Nightcall_

Something seemed amiss. It wasn't clear as to what, but it felt clearly off. Like he was being watched or stalked or something like that. Changing sides didn't help shake off the feeling, so he tried to look around, in spite of the darkness . There, on the opposite bunk, there was something there. _Jack? _he asked, semi-awake._  
_

_You're up, _came the reply, more like a statement.

_How did you get in here? _he inquired, looking around.

_I'm still wanted, Shepard. Strolling in wasn't an option, _she reminded him

_Did Kasumi help?_ he wondered._  
_

_None of your fucking business, _she barked back.

_Alright, _he resigned, changing sides again, trying to get comfortable.

_Aren't you going to ask me what I'm doing here?_ she tried quizzing him.

With what looked like no small amount of effort, Shepard lifted himself up from the thin mattress, then huffed. _I have a hearing in, _he paused, checking his omni-tool, _4 hours, so if you want to cuddle, just jump in._

_I don't want to fucking cuddle, Shepard, _she cried, throwing her arms out in exasperation. _Don't you know what happened tonight?_

_I do, _he came back, as soft and calm as possible, _which is exactly why I need to sleep for my hearing._

_Aren't you mad at me? Don't you hate me? Don't you want to punch me or something ? _Jack screamed at him.

_I'm not mad at you, Jack. I can be disappointed at times, but I'm not mad at you , _he tried to reassure her.

_Are you?_ she questioned him._  
_

_Am I what?_ he asked back, still dazed from sleep.

_Disappointed in me, _she retorted.

This argument was getting ridiculous. Shepard sighed before talking again. _You're the only reason you guys got so close to catching Billy in the first place. So no, I'm not disappointed._

Obviously frustrated, Jack's hands started to claw at the back of her head, tearing at hair that weren't even there. _I fucked up, Shepard, why can't you hate me?_

He squinted his eyes, as if trying to discern something that the darkness was hiding. _Why do you want me to hate you so desperately?_

_Because I can handle hate, _she snapped, as if this was common knowledge to everyone but Shepard. In spite of being drowsy, tired and, in a sense, hopeless, the specter found it incredibly funny. He lowered his head on the mattress and started to laugh. _What's so fucking funny? _she demanded.

Having calmed down, he lifted his head and got up from the cot. _Who we are is not what we do, you of all people should know that, Jack. _Taking a few light steps in the dark cell, he approached her and sat next to her . _And I think you're underselling the success of the stakeout. You stopped Billy from claiming another victim, you ID'd him as a turian and Garrus fired a shot that should put him out of commission till Miranda returns with more intel from Omega. Catching him would have been ideal, but it's also asking too much ._

_What if you get convicted because I didn't catch him? What will happen if you get sent to some batarian prison and die? What will we do when the reapers come?_ she whimpered.

_It's just a hearing, Jack. There probably won't even be a trial. I wasn't being light when I tasked Mordin with my defense. _He stroked her bald head and kissed it. _You worry too much. _Not having been satisfied with just one kiss, the specter tried one more on her forehead, then on her cheek, only to be interrupted as she forced her lips on his. Soon they were a tangled mess of hands that stroked the flesh beneath, as the heat between them grew more intense. Jack leaned back on the cot, putting her feet up as Shepard made his way on top of her, his hands never leaving her back and head, rather just laying her down slowly. As their lust took over, Jack seemed to get more aggressive. She tried to bite a few times before successfully digging her teeth in Shepard's lips. She drew blood and he found himself pushing her away and pulling back. Jack just smiled and smeared his blood over her lips and teeth. _What the hell, Jack? _he demanded. She lunged at him and started hitting him. The specter struggled and fought her off, pinning her down. _Stop that, _he ordered her, before settling back down. One more time, she threw her arms, grabbing his uniform to pull herself close to him. While Shepard expected another barrage of attacks, the unstable biotic just nestled herself on his lap and buried her face in his chest. Even though he couldn't see her, he knew she was crying. With a sigh, he put his arms lovingly around her once more. _It's alright, _he reassured her.

He wasn't sure how long they had been like this. His legs felt numb. He was pretty certain he even fell asleep again. _It must have been over an hour_, he reasoned.

_Why? _He eventually heard her voice.

_Why what? _he asked back.

_Why are you doing this?_ _Us, _she clarified, after a small respite. _Are you serious? Are you being a boy scout? Is it just you trying to fix everything?_

_You shouldn't have to ask, to know the answer to that, Jack, _he replied.

_Everything I know tells me you're lying, Shepard. That this isn't real and you're just using me, as well, _she whimpered. _If you're honest, then my whole life is a lie. So how can this be? Is it a lesson that you're trying to teach me? It takes the best to fix the worst or some deep shit that I don't understand? What are you trying to do with me?_

Compelled to huff at first, he fumbled for an answer. _I'm not trying to do anything. I just found someone that I can connect with_.

_Connect? _she wondered. _To the 'psychotic biotic'? _Jack lifted her head and finally found the courage to look at him.

His laughter resounded in the empty room for a moment. _No, just you. _He paused for a minute. _We're not all that different. I've bee_n _experimented on since, well, my_ _re-birth, I've suffered loss and failure and I've even been used by Cerberus. You've suffered much worse, than I have though, but you also handled it better than I would in your shoes. _Shepard shook his head. _I'm going to need a drink, if I'm to continue._

Jack slid off his lap and let him get up. Under the cot the specter usually slept on, was a small stash of liquor. One bottle of dextro, one bottle of levo whiskey. He picked the appropriate bottle and poured a glass. He tried to hand the glass to Jack, but her hand gripped the bottle instead. Shepard shrugged and downed the glass in one short gulp, as Jack took a swig right off the bottle. In a fit of uncharacteristic anger, the commander threw the glass against the far wall. He raised an eyebrow when the glass was engulfed in a blue light and seemed to hover back to Jack, before it had the chance to shatter to a thousand pieces. She poured him another, which he gladly accepted. A hand reaching in his back pocket, Shepard pulled out a photo and gave it to her. She, in turn, switching on her omni-tool to shed some light on it, looked at it intently. _What's this? _she inquired, as all she could see was a bunch of strangers.

_I wasn't always the commander of the Normandy, Jack. She had one before me and I was with him before there even was a Normandy, _he explained. _And before Garrus, Tali, Wrex and Liara, I used to run with these guys._

Her interest in the picture intensified, she stared at the picture some more. _So where are they now?_

_Dead, _his response came bluntly.

_Dead?_ she dropped the photo on the mattress, as if it would give **her **'the dead' as well, like some sort of disease. _What happened?_

As Shepard emptied his glass again, Jack took another draft. _Have you heard of Akuze?_

_Akuze? Oh yeah, the fucking Shepard memorial! _She lit up as she remembered. _ANN has been going apeshit over it. What the hell is it about?_

_It was ... back in '77. Me and this merry little band of misfits responded to a distress call, after the original colonization team went silent. As soon as we landed, we could feel the ground shake beneath our feet. We paid little heed at the time. Just aftershocks of a greater earthquake, before we arrived. Thinking back to it now, _he drifted off. _The colony had been beset by thresher maws. We were surrounded. I hate having to use Zaeed's line, but I was the only one to make it out alive that day. Or so I thought, at least. This guy over here, _he pointed at the photo, _Toombs. He made it out as well. I saw him many years later, on Ontarom. Said the whole thing was staged by Cerberus._ Jack raised an eyebrow in response, her way of saying '_why am I not surprised?' _The specter gave his glass back to Jack for yet another refill. This time, he just took a small sip, instead of downing the drink in one go. _I don't think I even have to tell you what the Illusive Man's response to that accusation was. _Looking back at her, Shepard found her staring at the picture. _What is it?__  
_

_I'm just trying to spot you, _she replied. The commander slapped his head, hiding his eyes, as his other hand pointed at himself in the picture. Jack burst out in laughter. _Look at you! You were so young, awwww. And what's with the hair?_

_It was the 70s. I don't have to justify myself, _he retorted. It was time for one more drink and this time his companion joined in as well, taking several gulps on her way. Shepard threw the glass as he finished it up. It smashed on the ground, before she could stop it this time. The commander walked in front of her and lifted her up.

_The hell are you doing? I don't like being manhandled like this, _she protested.

The specter seemed to pay little heed to both her objections and her struggling, though, as he walked to his bed. _I need to sleep. So fuck your feelings, Jack._

Surprised at first, her expression eased into a smile. _Fuck your feelings too, Shepard._


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter 14: Putting the band together again_

Light had once again penetrated the dark confine of his cell, a few rays intently falling on his eyelids. Shepard had little choice but to wake up. There was a chill on his front side, as if something that had kept him warm had left him behind. It was a sad realization for him that it actually had. He rolled around, trying to find her. She couldn't have left that long ago. Sitting on the other bed, a small bald woman was tying her shoelaces. _You're up, _she remarked nonchalant.

_What time is it? _he asked, trying to shake the sleep off.

_About 2 hours too early for you, _she informed him.

_Dammit, _the prisoner exclaimed disappointed. _I don't think I'll be getting any more sleep today. _He shook his head.

Jack's omni-tool came to life. She fiddled with it, but nobody talked. _What? _she shouted, rather agitated that she had been interrupted.

_Where have you been, Jack? _the voice of Garrus Vakarian sounded in the cell.

The human biotic raised her head and looked at Shepard. _None of your fucking business, bird, _she barked.

_She's with me, Garrus, _the specter intervened.

_Shepard? _the turian asked after a small respite. _Is this a bad time?_

The commander chuckled. _It's alright. Nothing happened._

_Shit, Shepard, don't tell him that! _She protested, then sighed. _What the hell do you want?_

_I need you in docking bay D24,_ the veteran marksman informed her.

_Docking bay D24? _Zero wondered aloud. _What's in docking bay D24?_

_The Normandy, _came Garrus' laconic response.

_So ... cheerleader did it? _She hesitated to ask, her eyes squinting.

_The cheerleader did it, _came the confirmation from the turian.

_The cheerleader did it, _she shouted out loud, jumping up from her cot. Shepard looked at her, expectantly. Maybe she was ready. Maybe she could put her hate for Cerberus behind and start life anew, maybe she could give Miranda a chance and they could finally get along like normal people. _So when I hunt her down to kill her, I'll give her a five second head start,_ Zero concluded and the specter hung his head. Maybe it was just too much to ask for.

The venerable krogan exited the elevator and walked into the CIC, a smile on his face. _I thought I smelled a turian, _he joked.

_Wrex? What are you doing here, big guy? I thought you had a planet to run, _Garrus extended his arm for a handshake, but the former mercenary refused it. Instead, he slammed his head on the turian. Garrus took a few steps back, dizzy, only to be hoisted up straight again by Jacob and Zaeed.

_Hmpf, still a pushover, _he remarked, losing his interest.

_Let's ... let's just go over the passenger manifest, _Kaidan hastened.

_Passenger manifest? _the turian asked, his legs still wobbling.

_Kelly got us the passenger manifest of the ship Billy boarded to get to the Citadel,_ Miranda explained. _Aria gave it to her._

_Speaking of little Red, where is she now?_ Jack wondered.

_She's recuperating in the infirmary. Just a precaution, _Jacob informed her.

_Oh, poor Kelly, _Tali sympathized. _Is she alright?_

Kaidan cleared his throat. _S-so, h-how about that manifest._

_Yeah, just a little dehydrated,_ Jacob remarked.

_Wow, _Jack exclaimed, folding her arms around her chest. _I don't think I wanna know why._

_I do and I hate knowing, _Miranda rested her head on her hand.

_Good call, _whispered Tali in Jack's ear, resting a hand on her shoulder.

_G-guys? The manifest? _Kaidan said trying to catch everyone's attention.

_We can chit chat later, let's take a look at this manifest then, _Garrus ordered, having recovered from his blunt head trauma.

_Right, _Jacob beckoned. _EDI, put it up on the monitor._

One of the side panels, near the galaxy map, turned to life, a list of names appearing on it, for everyone to see.

_Alright. We're looking for turian passengers. Jack managed to discern Billy's, _Garrus sighed before continuing, _'chicken legs'. _Miranda and Jacob shared a look, that he caught almost instantly. _What's wrong? _he asked.

_Both of us checked the list, _Miranda answered.

_There was no turian on board that ship, _Jacob concluded.

_What? _Garrus exclaimed surprised, scrolling through the list. _No, there has to be a mistake, Jack said-_

_Maybe Jack is wrong,_ Miranda barked, nailing Zero with her stare.

_Fuck you, cheerleader! _She raised her hand and pointed accusingly at her face. _I know what I saw!_

_Maybe she isn't wrong, _Samara, who had been quiet the whole time, interrupted, _but she may not be entirely right either._ She took a step forward, placing herself in front of the monitor._ We assumed she meant a turian, _she scrolled through the list herself, _when she said 'chicken legs'. But what if it was something else entirely? What if it was, _she paused both her speech and her scrolling, stopping at a name, then highlighting it, _a quarian?_

Tali took a few steps back. Kaidan, seeing her retreating like that, sensed there was something wrong. He placed an arm around her back and leaned forward to check if she was feeling well. Tali motioned to him that she was fine, but she still took a few more steps back, bumping against the bulkhead. Kaidan turned around, not letting her out of his sight.

_Shit, _Zero started a sentence as she usually did, _it could be a quarian. Fuck if I can tell the difference. It could have been a geth for all I know._

Garrus squinted his eyes, trying to read the name on the list. _I have no idea who that guy is, _he resigned.

_That's not his real name, _Tali said, finally.

_You know who he is? _Kaidan asked her, surprised. He knew there was something wrong with the way Tali acted since she heard the word quarian, but he didn't expect this.

She nodded her head to the group. _His real name is Wil'Nighy. I don't know which ship he originated from. His name was struck from the archives. He has been branded a traitor amongst my people, ever since he returned from his pilgrimage._

_So what did he do, exactly?_ Jacob wondered.

_It's not what he did, _Tali elaborated, _it's how he returned. He wasn't a quarian anymore. His arms and legs had been replaced with geth prosthetics._

It all made sense to Garrus now. How he could run so fast, how he seemed to glue on to vertical surfaces. _Billy isn't just a quarian, he's also a geth hopper_, he established. _That's why he could take the sniper shot and still stand and that's how he could climb the walls so effortlessly._

_Talk is cheap. We need to find this fucker and put him down,_ Zaeed prompted.

_He will need to care for his wound first, _Thane contributed, _but it is unlikely he visited a hospital._

_Many practitioners work on the side for crime syndicates, _Kasumi pointed out, _but his condition would require a geth specialist._

_There are no geth on the Citadel, _Legion chimed in. _We know. We have looked. _It almost sounded like the geth collective complained.

_His prosthetics would be easy to spot in public, even in a place like the Citadel. If I were him I would walk in a disguise. Or invisible. I find that helps the most, _the thief reasoned.

_Would an envirosuit be sufficient to hide his implants? _Thane turned to Tali.

_I ... I don't know. If they were tailored to him, then I guess so, but I just can't be sure. I've never seen him and, like I said, the fleet holds no record of him anymore, _she replied.

_His condition explains the ritualistic murders, _Samara interrupted. _He is trying to relive his own loss by mutilating his victims, but I do not understand why he called himself Billy._

_Probably to make a mockery of humans,_ Kaidan informed her.

_Yes, it is an old human custom to change a letter of your name to something else. Hence why a lot of humans called William, or Will are often referred to as Bill, _Miranda explained.

_So, perhaps due to his personal grudge against Shepard, who is considered as the greatest human alive across the galaxy, he decided on changing his name, _the staff lieutenant concluded.

_So that would make Wil'Nighy into Bil'Nighy? _Kasumi wondered.

_Well, yes, _Kaidan stammered a response.

_So how do we catch this clown? Do we know where he is now? _Wrex intervened.

_We lost his tracks somewhere in lower Kithoi last night. By now he could be anywhere, _Garrus shook his head.

_If he's moved, he's likely taken a shuttle, _Thane pointed out. _His wound would prohibit straining._

_Would the shuttle driver have to report transporting an injured quarian? _EDI chimed in.

_He could, but I find it highly unlikely, _Kasumi retorted. _Cooperating with authorities would limit business potential._

_But he would still disclose the information to us, if we're convincing enough,_ Thane prompted.

_So ... race to the lower Kithoi shuttle station? _the thief challenged the assassin.

_I'm dying, _he reminded her.

_Oh, right, _she sulked. _Last one there's a rotten egg, _miss Goto exclaimed and run off. Thane sighed, shook his head and went on his way as well.

_Guess while those two try to figure out where Billy went, me and the whelp can ... _Wrex looked around for Grunt and only just realized he was missing. _Whelp? Where the hell did he go?_

_He took the elevator off, just as you came to the CIC, _EDI informed them.

_So where is he now? _Jacob asked.

_He got off the elevator once he reached the mess hall, _the robotic voice of the AI chimed again.

_Oh, no, _remarked Miranda, slapping her head with the palm of her head.

**_Heeeeeeeeeeelp! _**Gardner's voice resounded across the CIC. _Someone come get this stinking krogan outta my kitchen! He's eating everything. Again!_

_Heh, cheeseburger. What are they going to think of next?_ Grunt's voice could be heard in the background, amidst the sound of creaking, broken crockery.

_I'll go get him, _Jack remarked and run to the elevator.

_You? _the former Cerberus agent exclaimed.

_Yeah, _she retorted, slapping the elevator button. _If Shepard's his adopted dad, then I'm his mom, right? _she explained as the door in front of her shut down.

_Did she just say she's his mom? _the quarian couldn't believe her ears. The rest of the group stared with a mixed look of disgust and surprise at the metallic elevator door.


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter 15: One More Time_

The specter waited his turn to talk quietly. For now, Mordin was in charge and he was making a good case for him. The turian tasked with the prosecution seemed to be at a loss. Every argument, every piece of evidence had been debunked, turned around, twisted and made to work in favor of the defense. It had seemed like such an open and shut case, the hearing would proceed to a trial, as soon as the council had removed Shepard of his specter status and the conviction was assumed to be 25 years to life. As it was, C-Sec could have found Shepard with a bloodied knife in his hands, the diplomat, found with Shepard's name carved on his chest, could be pointing at him and calling him a murderer and he'd still lose as long as that damn salarian was in charge of the defense. He had never before, in all his years, felt this defeated. He seriously contemplated quitting.

The Normandy seemed much more quiet than usual. Garrus' head fringe bobbed up and down as he paced about waiting for Thane or Kasumi to report in and even Grunt seemed to have settled down in the mess hall. Miranda reasoned that he probably stuffed himself with Jack and Wrex argued that she had hardly enough meat on her to fill a krogan. This, in turn, reminded Zaeed of this one time he had been hired to escort a krogan warlord to a high security prison and all was going well till the warlord grew hungry. He lamented that they had lost way too many men that day.

The elevator's door opened and Jack walked out, apparently intact, while Grunt nibbled on a large piece of meat. _Come on, pup, _she beckoned him and slowly merged with the group. _Maybe Jack is wrong, _she mocked, making the most childish impression of Miranda she could muster. The former Cerberus operative tried lunging at her, but Kaidan and Jacob held her back. Tali wrung her fingers, sick with worry, both over the two crew members sent out to find Billy and Garrus. She felt an incredible urge to hold him and tell him everything was going to be fine, but she just couldn't find the courage to do so in front of everyone. Legion simply expressed a form of concern over creator Zorah's elevated readings.

_I told you to wait for me here, whelp,_ Wrex scolded Grunt as he got out of the elevator.

_It was lunch time and Gardner just restocked, _Grunt excused himself.

_I don't care if there's a pack of cattle near ... _Wrex drifted off, sniffing something. _Is that fish?_

_Swordfish, _the krogan explained with a smile.

_Swordfish? _the king of Tuchanka exclaimed with a hearty laugh. _Are there more?_

_The inked woman promised to guide us to their source,_ he informed him.

_I'm starting to like you, whelp, _a wry smile forming on Wrex' lips.

_Incoming transmission from__ Kasumi, _EDI's voice chimed in.

Garrus raised his head. _Patch her through, _he requested.

_Hey gang, it's me, Kasumi, _the thief exclaimed.

_Yes, we get that, _Tali intruded. _What have you got for us?_

_Well, it seems that Billy moved to Tayseri ward. I met one of the drivers here and one of his passengers seems to match his description, _she announced, proudly.

_Tayseri? _The turian wondered. _Well, at least that makes our job easier. Is Thane with you?_

_Oh, I think he died on the way, _she mentioned casually.

_Wh-what? _the veteran marksman nearly had a heart-attack.

_No, wait, I think I ... yeah, there he is. Late as always, _she joked.

_Do you hate me? _Thane could be heard talking, over the comm.

_You stole my Thessian tea, _she objected as Jack coughed.

_Thessian tea would only make my condition worse, _he explained. _Why would I steal it?_

_Then who would, _she paused, thinking it over. _Jack? I helped you get to Shepard, _Kasumi protested.

_You said it'd give me biotic spikes, _Zero complained in return.

_Ladies, _Garrus interjected, snapping his fingers, _this is not the time. We need to get to Tayseri. EDI, can you hack into any of the camera streams from Tayseri's shuttle bay and find Billy? Maybe we can trace his steps from there._

_I'll require a mobile interface platform I can access remotely,_ the AI responded.

_We will fulfill that role, _the geth collective contributed. _Creator Zorah?_

The quarian simply nodded. _We will-**I **will go along with you, Legion, _she corrected herself. _Will you join us, Garrus?_

_Uh, s-sure, _he stammered.

_What the hell, bird? I thought we were a team, _Jack objected, as she stood in front of Samara, pointing between the three of them.

_Yes, of course, _he tried to sound confident, but failed. _I guess that'll have to take a rain check, Tali._

The quarian engineer peeked over the turian's shoulder, her eyes squinting as she focused on Jack, then walked towards her. She pointed two of her fingers at her eyes, then back at Subject Zero, before walking away. A shocked look formed on Jack's face, as she really didn't see this reaction coming from the usually timid Tali. _And I don't have chicken legs, _she protested.

_Then I guess I'll take Kaidan and Jacob with, _Miranda started.

_No! **I**'m taking Taylor and Alenko with me, _Zaeed asserted. _These kids hardly know how to fight, let alone hunt. I can teach them a thing or two. Hopefully, they'll both make it out alive. _The mercenary went for the Normandy's airlock, ready to leave for Tayseri.

_That sounded rather ominous, _Kaidan stated.

_Yeah! And it didn't sound too good either, _Jacob added. Kaidan just looked at the former Cerberus agent and squinted, trying to figure out if he was being serious or not.

_Then I guess I will go with Grunt and, _Miranda tried one more time.

_I've got other plans for this whelp, _Wrex interrupted her again_, _shaking his head at her.

_That just leaves me with Tali and Legion, _she resigned with a deep sigh.

The so called psychotic biotic couldn't help screaming in frustration as she sat on a bench on one of the busier streets of the still rebuilding Tayseri ward. _If I hear that Sanctuary commercial one more time, I swear I'm going to kill someone._

_Yeah, I noticed that too. What the hell is sanctuary anyway?_ Garrus wondered.

_It's supposed to be something like the safest place in the fucking galaxy, _Jack explained.

_No place will be safe enough when the Reapers arrive, _Samara contemplated.

_Sounds more like a prison to me, _Zero monologued.

_EDI, any news from Tali and Legion? _The turian asked.

_Nothing yet. It seems Billy is well aware of the cameras positioned over Tayseri and knows how to avoid them, _the AI informed him.

_This is a lost cause, _he lamented, shaking his head. _Shepard's hearing should be over by now. Let's head back to the ship. EDI, tell everyone to regroup at the Normandy. Once we know what's happened to the commander, we will start working on a new strategy._

The turian started off first, Samara following suit behind him. _Shit, _Jack muttered under her breath and jumped off the bench. She hadn't even made a step, before she felt a jolt go through her, sending an unfamiliar shiver down her spine. _G-Garrus, _she cried.

_What's wrong now? _he asked in a resigned manner as he turned to face her. Upon seeing her expression, he realized it immediately. _Where? _his eyes bolted left and right. There, just a few feet behind her, a quarian gambled a look over his shoulder, only to have his eyes lock with the turian, then darted off as fast as he could. _Samara, he's here, _he shouted, running off behind Billy. Zero needed no prompting, as she matched her speed with the turian's. Above them, the justicar could be seen hovering past the crowd, getting ahead of Billy, before landing in front of a set of stairs, effectively blocking his path. She prepared a biotic blast, only to see him avoid it, by jumping at a far wall, nearly gluing on it, then propelling himself against Samara. With a deft move, he stabbed her side with a concealed knife and sped on past her. The asari seemed to lose her balance and looked about to collapse as her blood streamed down her side. She tried to clutch the wound shut with her hand, but she only managed to smear it. As she brought her hand up to her face, she almost fainted.

_Samara, _the human biotic cried, her voice resonating a tone of concern.

_I've got her, _the marksman reassured her, as he deviated towards the justicar. _You go after Billy. It's all up to you now, Jack._

_Thanks for reminding me, _she thought to herself and followed on the quarian's tracks.

Samara's legs wobbled for a moment longer, before she fell forward, head first onto Garrus. The turian, already expecting her to fall, gripped her easily and applied medigel directly to her wound. _Hey, hey, hey, come on now, you're OK, _he whispered as he tried hoisting her up. The asari's eyelids suddenly opened wide, the former white of her eyes gone charcoal black along with the pupils. _Fuck, _the veteran marksman started, nearly dropping her as he jumped, out of sheer horror.

Jack was running short behind Billy. He was fast, nearly tireless and more than once, she almost lost him in the crowd. As they reached a set of stairs that led to one of the lower levels of the ward, Zero was certain he would dart off to the right and lose him completely. It was almost indistinguishable to her how a change in her field of vision came about. Time itself seemed to slow down and everything turned a duller grey color. Except for him. Her footing came faster, effortless, more balanced, slowly catching up to him. She jumped on the railing on the center of the stairs and slid down between the ongoing crowd. It felt so natural, so focused and at the same time, as if a steady hand was showing her the way. _Get out of my head, Samara, _she barked.

Garrus was trying to get a better grip on Samara. His one arm was wrapped around her back, his two fingers uncomfortably squeezing down on her chest, his other arm grabbing her leg. _Spirits, you're heavy, _he heaved as he tried straightening her up, only for his arm to reach higher up her thigh. Samara's head rolled around as her eyes closed and opened up again, returning to their normal colour. She placed a hand on her head.

_Goddess, _she exclaimed coming to. She looked up at the turian next to her, his eyes frozen, his mouth wide open, an expression of fear on his face. Slowly, as the numbness on her body subsided, she felt his arms around her and stared at the hands gripping her. _I never imagined one so young could touch me, _she told him softly, gazing into his eyes.

The former C-Sec officer finally took a breath, his expression easing into one of relief. _I'm sure you say that to all the guys, _he replied. The turian's attention was distracted by a familiar face running past him. _Hey, is it just me or was that, _he trailed off.

_I think it was, _the asari confirmed.

Subject Zero found herself in front of a triple set of doors. The trail led to here, but she had no idea which one Billy had chosen. She took a step forward, approaching the middle one, leaving the other two behind her. There was a chime and a ringing sound heard coming from behind her. Turning around, the doors were shut. Her attention focused to the source of the sounds. _Come on, Jack. You're an investigator now, so investigate,_ she prompted herself. She brought up her omni-tool. The door that had chimed previously, seemed to be operated remotely via a terminal. Issuing the order, it opened up. Not too far away from the door was a metallic can. _This caused the ringing sound_, she theorized. _But where did it come from? _she started to go inside but stopped. _Billy wouldn't be so careless. Not after all the hoops he had us running through yesterday, _she reasoned. A gear clicked in her head. _Garrus shot Billy. He said that he wouldn't be able to strain himself after that, but he's been running around like a geth hopper on steroids. If he's hurt, then he should be bleeding and if he's bleeding, _she searched around frantically, _then there should be a blood trail, _she surmised. A trail of red splotches went through one of the doors. Hesitantly, she opened it. The room was dark, if not for a small window at the far side of it. Shattered crates littered the floor. In front of the window stood a dark figure. From the whimpers she heard and the second shape that seemed to be in front of Billy, she assumed that there was a young asari held as hostage. She took a decisive step inside.

_That is close enough, _the quarian beckoned.

_Really? A hostage? You think that's going to stop me? _the human biotic's skin started flashing blue.

_Oh, I would never dream of stopping your delicate work, Subject Zero, _he mocked.

_At least shove her out of the way or slit her throat. That way you can rob me of the pleasure of killing you both in one hit, _she bluffed.

_I don't think your boyfriend would approve of that, _he snided.

Jack squinted her eyes as she looked at him. _The fuck did you just say?_

_The cat's out of the bag,_ he sneered._ Isn't that what you humans say? Did you really think it was some heavily guarded secret? People wouldn't know? How the most violent biotic alive has a crush on the first human specter, _he spat.

_Who told you? _Jack's breathing came heavy as she felt her blood boil.

_Come now, Zero. You expect me to reveal my sources? _his blade dug into the woman's throat, the asari cried in terror as a few drops of blood started flowing down her neck. _Now, I suggest you walk away._

_Not gonna happen, _came a voice behind her.

Jack turned around and saw the fully armed man stand under the doorway. _Shepard? _she asked surprised.

_If it isn't the savior of the Citadel. I would take my bow, but I'm a little preoccupied, you see, _Wil made light of the situation.

_You understand that if you harm her, there's nothing stopping me, or Jack, from tearing you apart, don't you? _Shepard's threat sounded legitimate.

_Or you can try something bold and we see the inside of her throat, _the quarian taunted them. The asari woman whimpered again, but said nothing.

_I've done a lot of stupid things in my life, Billy. None as the one you're doing now, though. Hiding in the shadows? It's the perfect cover, _the specter explained.

_Don't expect me to fall for your empty threats, commander,_ he barked back.

_Too bad. Because my threats are never empty, _he smirked wryly.

The two glowing orbs that shone from behind Billy's visor seemed to grow bigger, as if his eyes opened wide. A hand seemed to materialize as it smacked against his mask, his head bobbing up and down as the thief pulled the asari out of his reach. The assassin simply placed a finger on the bleeding open wound on the quarian's side. He tried to push the drell back, but his waning strength failed him.

_Is something wrong? _the specter taunted him. _Is it the bullet wound? The loss of blood? Or is it the high fever? All of the above maybe? _Billy still tried to struggle, but Thane held him off._ Those geth parts helped you put on quite a display, but it all amounts to nothing if you can't keep it up indefinitely._

_I would have got you, Shepard,_ the quarian spat. _I would fillet you, then sever sinew from bone. I would chop you into tiny pieces, then serve you to your crew, just before I do the same to them. _

_You're in no condition to do anything, Bill. But you can tell me who hired you to kill those people and discredit me, _Shepard instructed him.

Billy laughed for a minute. _They'll do things way worse than you can, if I tell you._

_Is that enough?_ the human asked over his shoulder.

_That'll do,_ Bailey's voice came from behind him. The C-Sec captain walked in, a determined look on his face. _Take him away, _he shouted as a group of C-Sec agents run in, apprehending the quarian.

_Kasumi, get this woman to a hospital. Hell, get her to Chakwas, if need be, _he motioned her and the shocked asari she still held in her arms.

_Right away, commander, _she beckoned and led the woman away.

_Thane, you're dismissed for the day, _he relieved the assassin.

_Thank you, commander, _he acknowledged.

_I'd go visit a fellow convict, if I were you, _he urged. The drell smiled in return and left hurriedly. _Jack, _he added lastly. The woman had been standing there, literally stunned to see him before her and out of prison. Even as he walked closer to her, she didn't utter a single word. Instead, he took the initiative, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. Zero just stared at him, still disbelieving.

_You're out, _she finally said.

_I told you, I wasn't being light when I charged Mordin with my defense, _he reminded her.

_So what about all this? Hunting Billy? _she wondered.

_We'd have to get him, either way,_ he explained._ He was my mess, after all. But I wouldn't have done it without you, Jack. So, thank you for doing this. All of this._

_I didn't, _she started.

_Didn't what? Find Billy amongst a crowd of millions? Hunt him down? Corner him? Stall him till Thane and Kasumi got in undetected? _Shepard scolded her for doubting herself. _Come on, Jack. Let's go home. C-Sec can handle the rest, _he prompted her.


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter 16: Shore Leave_

The docking bay marked D24 allowed for a spectacular view of the ship that had nestled itself there. Leaning on the railing, first human specter, Commander Shepard, simply looked, taking in a view that he thoroughly missed the past few days, locked up in a C-Sec cell. In spite of being totally aware of the sound of approaching footsteps, his attention didn't falter from the gleaming metallic hull of the Normandy.

_Shepard,_ came a voice behind him, forcibly drawing him back to reality_. What are you doing out here? _

_Just taking in the view, _he replied, still staring at the ship. He turned around and looked at the source of the soft feminine voice that called him. Her long dark hair was flowing down her shoulders, ending in thick curls. She wore a simple white jacket with a black shirt underneath it and a matching, but simple, pair of slacks. A pair of short heeled sandals accentuated her feet. _Well_, _there's something I could stare all day, _he remarked with a smile.

_You ass, _Miranda replied, followed by a soft giggle. _I was just saying goodbye to a friend. _She approached the railing next to him and looked at the ship as well.

_He's a good man,_ the specter added.

_You ... you knew? _the operative asked surprised.

_You're not the only one reading other people's emails, _the commander informed her, a smirk forming on his lips.

_I see. I'll need to chat up Liara at some point, _she tried sounding collected, but her tightened fists and her flushed face indicated otherwise. It took her a while to calm herself down, before speaking again. _This, _she paused, thinking how to word it more accurately, _thing you've got with Jack._

_I know you don't approve, Miranda,_ Shepard interrupted her, _but I have no intention of breaking it off._

_She is a burden to our mission, her authoritarian problems constitute her a liability and she is likely to kill you, if you just react to something wrong. It's not whether I approve or not, she's dangerous,_ her reprimand sounded sincere.

His reaction was a small laugh. _You'd think that, but you'd be wrong. Jack actually behaved herself on the investigation and even though she spent a lot of time cooling off, she was punctual, she listened to Garrus, she worked well with the group, in spite of personal frictions and pushed them harder when pursuing Billy through half of lower Kithoi. _He took a deep breath, lifting his upper body from the railing and settling himself in a straight position. _Truth is, we couldn't have done this without her._

Miranda sighed and rolled her eyes. _I understand that there are special conditions at times that may require her assistance, but I still don't trust her._

_You shouldn't. Not yet, anyway. She's still out for your blood, _he resigned himself. _I don't think I can ever get her to ease up on you, but she has been making some remarkable progress the past few days._

_Well, I'll believe it when I see it and so far, I don't, _she commented, rubbing her forehead. _I'll be in the Normandy if you need me, _she took a few steps back smiling.

_I'll just stay here and enjoy the view for a while, _Shepard replied.

_Oh, so I'm 'the view', now? _Miranda's expression changed to a stern one.

_What? No, I-I meant, with the ship and, _he stammered, frantically pointing around.

_Shepard, _she exclaimed, making a stop motion that halted him on the spot. _Gotcha, _she smiled, her hand switching to a firing gun, before resuming her walk back to the Normandy. The specter laughed heartily, settling himself back on the railing, as he shook his head.

The sound of pacing echoed around the mess hall. Jack stalked the observation deck, seemingly undecided over something. Finally finding the courage, she took a few steps towards the door, then regretted and returned to her original distance. She cursed herself for being a coward and forced herself forward. _No, this will never happen, _she thought to herself and started to leave. _But I just want to talk. She likes to talk, right? _she monologued. _Oh, who the hell am I kidding? Why would she want to talk to me._

The door chimed and slid open, revealing the asari woman that resided behind. The justicar looked around, but only saw Jack, frozen solid in mid step, her eyebrows contorted, her teeth clenched, as if she was hoping that through some miracle Samara wouldn't see her. _Jack, _she said, her pupils dilating and contracting in accordance. _I wasn't expecting you._

_Yeah, _she started. _I'm still pissed about what you did earlier today, _she pointed her finger accusingly at the justicar.

_You are right to be angry,_ Samara admitted. _I intruded your consciousness without permission, _her pupils focusing on something on the lower right corner of her field of vision. _It will not happen again, I assure you._

_I don't care if it does,_ Jack snapped at her. _I mean, I do but, _she trailed off and cried in frustration. She didn't know how to word it. _What you can do, what you showed me, it's fucking incredible. _She looked at the justicar, as if she'd thank her for the complement, but Samara wasn't one for that. She was more interested in where Zero was going with this. _I don't know how you do those things, but, _she paused, _I want to be able to do them too._

The expression on the asari's face changed to a softer one, almost resembling motherly affection. _There is a very finite line between what a human, a biotic and an asari can do, _Samara explained._ I can't make you an asari, _she shook her head, _and I have little knowledge on humans, but I can show you what more you can do, as a biotic._

Zero pursed her lips together, swallowing what pride over her power she had and walked towards the justicar. _Yeah, yeah, just spare me the lectures already,_ she replied, entering Samara's quarters.

The airlock to the ship opened, the hydraulics that kept the door shut, sounding like a locomotive that blew its steam. The commander walked in. _Commander Shepard is on board. Commander Shepard has the deck, _the AI announced upon his entry. The crew itself hastened up from its seats, hitting their salutes as fast as they could. The commander smiled as a few amongst them fumbled their chairs, smacked on other people in their surprise, but still held their salutes.

_At ease everyone. And thank you all for your continuous hard work. You may return to your posts, _he relieved them and the men and women of the Normandy shuffled back to their seats. His steps took him to the cockpit. As always, Joker sat on the helm, ready to cast off at any moment, but for now, just doing some rudimentary checks.

_Hey commander, _the pilot sounded nonchalant.

_Joker, _ Shepard acknowledged with a nod. _Haven't been in the cockpit for a while. Why don't you give me the rundown._

_She's as fine a ship as you left her, commander,_ Jeff simply shrugged, _I don't see why anything should have changed in the meantime.__  
_

_So no firefights, no batarian raiders, no nothing while I was gone?_ The specter quizzed him._  
_

_Whatever ruckus happened in Omega, was mostly for the away team. Nothing really to harm the ship, _the pilot filled him in. _I'd be more worried about Kelly, though. She got the brisk of it._

_Kelly?_ the commander wondered. _How did Kelly got involved?_

_You'd better ask her yourself. All I know is that she messed with the wrong person on Omega,_ he informed him.

_She pissed off Aria? What was she even doing with her? _Shepard snapped.

_Miranda's orders, commander. I'd tell you more, but the XO and I have an understanding; I don't question her and she stays out of my cockpit, _Joker explained.

The specter slapped himself in the face. This was all just too much bother for him, after spending the past couple of days in lockup. _Alright, I'm going to talk to Kelly, _he resigned himself, taking the small corridor, past the numerous crewmen stations to his left and right, that led to the galaxy map. The chirpy redhead had resumed her post, next to Shepard's private terminal.

_Commander, _she greeted as soon as he was close enough to hear him.

_Kelly, _he beckoned. _I heard you had a rather difficult run in with Aria. Are you alright?_

_Oh, nothing I couldn't handle, _the yeoman dismissed with a puff, even waving her hand accordingly.

_Really? _the commander quizzed. _Because that's not what I heard. _He lifted his gaze from her and tried to catch a glimpse of the cockpit. If Joker was pulling his leg or eavesdropping, he wasn't quite sure yet.

_Well, I did spend about an entire day in the infirmary, but I'm fine now,_ Kelly admitted.

_An entire day? _he asked surprised. _What happened?_

_Commander, like I already said, it was nothing, _she reassured him, sounding as confident as she possibly could. _It's just that negotiations with Aria can be arduous, but also quite enjoyable. I just needed some rest when we were done. I was up all night._

_So what you're saying is that you had fun?_ The specter concluded.

_It was more than just fun, _she added, her gaze focusing on something apparently far and away. As Kelly brought the memory of the previous day in mind, her body shivered and her fingers toyed seductively with her hair. _It was wonderful, _she admitted to herself, her voice turning to a huskier tone. Shepard raised both eyebrows in surprise and Kelly, upon seeing his reaction, snapped out of her daydream. _That I could be of assistance, I mean, _she tried to salvage it, but the damage was already done. _C-could you excuse me for a moment, commander? _Shepard simply nodded and Kelly did half a bow before darting off to the elevator.

_Joker! _The specter demanded for the pilot.

_I hear you commander, _he replied.

_What exactly did you mean when you said Kelly 'messed' with Aria? _he questioned him.

The trash compactor bay wasn't accustomed to seeing this many visitors. Sure, Massani had made it his home, littering the place with his arms and armor, even going as far as turning part of a wall into a dart board, but nobody hardly ever came down there, the rancid smell being bad enough to keep most everyone away. Still someone would walk down to hear a story or simply to dispose of some of his, or her, trash. Somehow, it still managed to be one of the more welcoming rooms this low in the bowels of the Normandy. Roomier then Grunt's room where all it could fit was his tank, Grunt and, well, basically nothing more. The other option was the noisy engineering room, where Tali would usually spend most of her time, along with Gabi and Ken, but it wasn't the best place to start a chat. Then, of course, there was the part that the crew had baptized 'The Pit' but nobody would venture there. The pit was stationed below engineering and, legend had it, was the domain of an evil, powerful witch named Jack. Few had the courage to venture, fewer had made it out intact. For now, however, most everyone that could be found in the lower deck had gathered in the mercenary's quarters.

_So get this, _Joker's voice sounded over the inter-comm, _she tells Jacob that she's arranged for a fr__iend to help._

_What's wrong with that? _Tali wondered, not sure where the pilot was going with it.

_What's wrong with that? _he repeated, as if it should have been obvious to everyone. _She said **A** friend. As in **one**, the number? Then both Kaidan _**_and_**_ Wrex show up?_

_Maybe one of the two hadn't responded and only expected one to show up?_ Gabi intervened. The room was quiet for a moment, as this seemed like a plausible explanation.

_What? No! No way! _The pilot snapped. _She would never have gone with the plan on the notion that her second backup **might** show up! There's no way._

_I still don't understand what you're getting at,_ Tali complained.

_The cheerleader fucked a krogan, oh yeah, _Jack mused with a smile.

_Oh, that's a horrible thing to say! _The engineer argued.

_Look, I'm not saying she had sex with Wrex, _Joker retracted, _but if one is her friend, then what's the other? And which one's which?_

_Oh this is too good to keep Taylor out of the_ _loop, _Zaeed joked. _He'd be sweating like an asari dancer abandoned on the Yagh homeworld._

_Is this some kind of fetish I'm unaware of?_ Ken tried to contribute to the conversation, only to receive an elbow to the stomach by Gabi.

_You'll piss him off and then he'll kill us both, _his fellow engineer hissed her warning through gritted teeth.

_Maybe the reason her previous relationships with other men failed was because of their inability to satisfy her sexually, _EDI chimed in.

_I told her to go fuck a krogan once. Glad she listened, _Zero monologued.

_Yeah, I mean, as the perfect woman, she could have higher sexual standards, _Joker agreed.

Grunt looked around, hopeless and oblivious to everything. He wasn't sure what to make of all this talk about quads and brunettes. This whole conversation was making him feel awkward. All he wanted was some fish. _I shoulda stayed in my tank, _he told himself.

Spent, tired, filthy, oily. Those were the thoughts going through Shepard's head as he opened the door to the loft. He had hardly made a step towards the right direction, the bed, before EDI's voice sounded within the room. _Commander, there's an incoming transmission of unknown origin trying to patch itself directly to your terminal._

_Allow it, _the commander grudgingly ordered.

_Commander,_ the AI objected,_ it is trying to bypass our protoc-_

_It's just Liara, _Shepard scolded her.

_As you wish, Shepard, _EDI conceded after a pause, probably because she run some tracking protocols of her own to ascertain the intruder's identity.

The monitor on Shepard's terminal, as well as one across the room, lit up with Liara's visage on them. _It's good to see you're cleared, Shepard, _the asari beckoned.

_Are you spying on me, Liara? _The specter sighed, tired.

_ I didn't know that was a secret, _she smiled.

_I'll have someone return the bugs to you, once I found them, _he informed her.

_You can try, but my bugs are much more sophisticated then the ones Miranda uses and I don't hide them in obvious places, like under your desk, _ she challenged him.

_What? _Shepard snapped and fumbled on the underside of his desk, till he found a small circular object that seemed to be out of place. He yanked it out and gave it a good look, before throwing it in a jar, filled with similar devices. _So, what did you find out? _He continued leisurely.

_Well, I ran the description of the mech you found through my operatives. It appears to be, as you said, a modified version of the YMIR mech, set to accommodate a single pilot. Its codename, as far as I could get a hold of, is ATLAS. I even found some schematics that I'm already broadcasting to you, _Liara explained.

_Any word on the manufacturer? _Shepard quizzed.

_You're not going to like this one, _she said, shaking her head. _It's Cerberus._

He lifted his arms and dropped them, thoroughly disappointed, as if saying _why am I not surprised, _only to do so, not a second later.

_There's a production facility for them somewhere and I'm trying to find out where, but so far, I've been unable to do so, _Liara elaborated. _Another thing that came up was something called Sanctuary, but I've yet to uncover its whereabouts. _Shepard went to sit on his chair, resting an elbow on his desk, supporting his head with his hand. _Shepard? _Liara asked concerned. _Is everything alright?_

_Yeah, it's just, _he paused, collecting himself, _it's a lot to take in all at once. I wish I knew what the Illusive Man was thinking right now, _the commander took a long intermission._ Listen, Liara, I've got another favour to ask._

Liara's head cocked up. _What is it?_

_The alliance is going to come down on me hard. Soon. It's going to be about the alpha relay and my association with Cerberus. You know it and I know it. Now, I'm not going to run away. I can use this to tell them about the Reapers. We need to prepare, Liara, but I can't do it, if she's in danger, _Shepard was so preoccupied with his train of thought, he forgot to mention who he meant.

_She? You mean Jack, _Liara filled herself in.

_Yes, _the specter confirmed. _She can't be here when Alliance comes knocking. The others know how to handle themselves. Garrus goes to Palaven, Grunt to Tuchanka, Tali back to the flotilla, Legion to Rannoch, Thane and Kasumi vanish, but Jack, _he trailed off. _Jack leaves a path of destruction wherever she goes that even a destroyer could follow from orbit. I want you to hide her and give her something to keep her occupied so she doesn't blow up a planet out of boredom. _The asari couldn't help chuckling at his last remark. She knew how much of a handful Zero was. _Most importantly, though, I can't know where she is._

Liara's eyebrows contorted at his last remark. _Why not? _She couldn't find the reasoning behind it.

Shepard sighed and tried to explain it to her. _Say that the Reapers arrive and I'm sent to defend or capture an important strategic position. What if her hideout is being attacked at the same time? I can't know if she's dead or in trouble. All I will need to know is that she is safe. And if you know, if I ask you, that's what you will tell me. You're going to lie to my face, if you have to and tell me she is safe. You're going to tell me like you believe it, so I can believe it. __Because I don't think I can do this if she dies too, _he shivered at the thought.


	17. Chapter 17

_Chapter 17: Easy Lover_

The hot shower had felt refreshing. All the weariness had been simply washed away by the droplets of water that soothed his entire body. It wasn't just invigorating, it felt cleansing. He reverently enjoyed the warm steam that had gathered in the room, as he rested his back against the wall, allowing himself a brief relief from galactic concerns and pointless worry about a war that he couldn't prevent. _Still_, he realized, _all good things must come to an end. _He pushed himself up straight and took a towel that he tied in a knot around his waist and another to wipe his wet head, before walking out. _I'll just change into my unif, _he stopped himself mid thought, as he found the rather comfortable Cerberus uniform he had prepared beforehand, scattered on the floor just outside his door, the outfit's logo itself torn off. This came as a surprise. Someone had come into his room. He took a look around and spotted _her_ on the bed. She had her legs crossed, her back arched and supported her upper torso on just her elbows. She had discarded the orange uniform and leather harness she wore all day, in favor of a pair of jeans, a black tank top and a matching vest, the annoying visor that Shepard so much hated, still rested on the ridge of her nose. Shepard approached her, without so much as a second thought. _Hey, Jack, _he saluted her casually.

_Hey, boy scout, _she remarked in a similar tone.

The specter stood towering in front of her, his hands gripping on the towel that he hung around his neck, his upper torso exposed, still glistening from the water and radiating steam from the heat of the shower. _What can I do for you? _he asked eagerly.

_I'd tell you, but you're too damn far to hear me, _she hinted, raising an eyebrow.

He climbed up on the bed, putting himself directly on top of her, his stretched arms holding him up. _Is this better? _he smiled.

Jack grabbed the towel around his neck with both hands and pulled him down on her lips. In spite of the force she put into her arms, the kiss itself was soft and gentle. It reminded Shepard of the first time he had kissed Liara, but the memory faded almost instantly, as he caught his reflection on that stupid visor.

A few decks bellow, Samara felt her upper lip flaring. The sensation became so irritable that it broke her meditation. She touched the space between her nose and lip, thinking there was some kind of bleeding that caused her discomfort. The back of her hand came up clean. Nothing was wrong. She decided to dismiss it and get back to her meditating. Whatever it was, it was sure to go away if she just stopped paying attention to it.

Her mind couldn't get around it. How could Liara have hacked her terminal? All her private information in the hands of a snooping asari that was too deep into ancients texts to even know how to work an omni-tool. Not only that, but Shepard had found the microphone she had hidden under his desk, just about a day ago. This was surely not up to her usual performance standards. Miranda reprimanded herself for all her successive slips.

_Agent Lawson? _EDI's voice echoed in her room, startling her.

_What? _She snapped irritated.

_Jack entered the loft, _the AI informed her.

_Great, _she thought to herself, _now what is that bitch up to? _With a sigh of frustration, she resigned. _Let's see it, _she allowed. The monitor in front of her flickered. At first it showed a Cerberus uniform, torn and scattered. _Oh, this can't be good, _she silently told herself. _Jack's probably into another one of her hissy fits and taking it out on the Cerberus uniforms. _She fiddled around with the keypad in front of her and the camera zoomed out, then panned around the room, or as much as it could, anyway, as the image became obstructed but a furry creature. _Gah! Just go away, _she yelled at Shepard's hamster, but except for shaking constantly, it did little else to move out of view. Miranda realized that her room was getting hot and her arm instinctively went to her suit's zipper, taking it down a notch. _EDI, _the operative called out.

_Yes, agent Lawson? _she beckoned in response.

_Did you raise the temperature? _Miranda asked accusingly.

_Room temperature is steadily at 78 degrees Fahrenheit, as instructed, _EDI explained, a thermometer flickering on Miranda's terminal, the number 78 next to it.

_This day is just getting better and better, _she puffed, resting her head on her arm.

Jack's hand forcibly yanked the towel wrapped around Shepard, off and threw it away. The specter had to stop mid kiss and chuckle at Zero's bold advance, but her expression didn't seem to change. She simply licked her lips, uncertain if her straightforwardness had killed the mood. The commander simply placed a hand at the back of her head, gave her one more passionate kiss and then climbed off the bed. He knelt down before the pair of legs that still dangled from it, untying the shoelaces of her boots, then tugging them off. His hands slid up her jeans, massaging the calf, then moving to do the same on the other leg. The biotic was getting impatient. As much as she liked seeing him crawl about her feet, she wanted him getting busy in other places. She placed her hand on his chin and urged him up again, laying on top of her. Shepard lowered his head, this time kissing the neck, his fingers gently stroking her midriff before she guided him lower, under the harsh fabric of her clothes, soft smiles forming on both their lips. Jack gasped at his touch and started gripping the sheets. _I'm not letting go, _he whispered in her ear.

The justicar was still annoyed by the burning sensation on her lips, but she was determined to keep her focus, until something seemed to bother her leg, as well. She could do away with all these distractions, but this should just be a pebble that got stuck somehow. She removed the boot and tried emptying its contents on the floor, yet nothing seemed to come out. She massaged the leg, just to make sure. _Probably just a nerve ending twitching, _she reasoned with herself, only then, it spread to her other leg too. Something was very wrong here, as if something was making her ... _Jack, _she whispered, her pupils dilating and contracting again at the sound of the human woman's name. Samara's eyes blinked, turning into charcoal black again. She shook it off, forced herself to concentrate, the white returning. _Goddess, _she exclaimed, a hand steadying her head. She got herself to stand up, but she was dizzy, her legs shaking, the room was wobbling. Sheer willpower managed to get her to a couch on the observation deck. Laying down, she simply gave up.

Jack found herself laying down on her front side, the commander running his magical fingers on her back. She found herself moaning in delight. I all her years, nobody had given her a massage before. He was being so gentle with those rough hands and she could deny it all she wanted, but she actually liked being pampered like this. Shepard traced a single finger down her spine. Zero shivered and turned around with a smile. _That felt bad in a very good way, _she admitted. _What more can you do with those fingers? _Jack wondered.

_Turn around and I'll show you, _the commander teased her, but she did just that immediately. He slid down her abdomen and nestled himself between her legs, kissing the thighs and caressing them with the tips of his fingers. She felt herself twitch from the tickling.

_Come on, stop with the teasing, _she pleaded. Shepard complied with a smile. He buried his face in her crotch and Jack gasped, more in reaction to her anticipation than the touch itself. She wasn't used to getting worked up this way. The magic fingers that she had just fallen in love with, started to softly tickle her sides, making her squirm. The moaning got louder, her pelvis started moving of its own accord. Shepard moved his arms to get her to settle down, placing one over her belly, the other under her. Zero tore at the sheets as she reached her peak, gasping. _Shit, _she exclaimed, panting. Her partner moved up to her, forcing his lips on hers, smearing her with the juices that had trickled on his face. Jack didn't mind, she even enjoyed the salty taste as she tried licking him clean. Wrapping his strong arms around her waist, he lifted her on his lap, settling her down on his shaft. Zero shivered as he penetrated her soft, still convulsing, pink flesh. He picked up his pace, his hands supporting her arching back and head, as he stared into her eyes. Jack's hands hooked themselves on his shoulders and matched the grinding of her hips to his thrusts. Shepard brought her closer to him, teasing her nipples with his tongue, even biting them, though gently. The biotic's gasps started coming more frequent, her cries raising in pitch, until finally her body tensed. She released a loud scream and fell limp. His arms still around her, Shepard settled her back down.

Returning to her quest to find the little worm that had inched its way inside her terminal, Miranda had pushed the image of the fury little creature to the edge of her monitor. She was hot and sweating and uncomfortable. Already, the uniform had slid off her upper body. _78 Fahrenheit, my ass, _she thought to herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the hamster finally moving away. _Ugh, finally! _She exclaimed, as in a small victory. _I wonder if she's still in there_, she thought to herself as she brought the image into full view. _What could she possibly be-oh! _If the picture itself wasn't a give away, the sound that came after the hamster and its sound nullifying fur moved away from the camera's mic left little to the imagination. The operative hurriedly turned the feed off and returned to her work. However, the image had managed to embed itself into her brain and now wasn't going away. _Seriously, Miri, get a grip, _she urged herself, then tried to concentrate back on her work. Her mind, though, came up blank. She lowered her head, her fingers digging into the back of her head, scratching as if to find the image and yank it out. _Are we really doing this? _She questioned herself. Sighing, she gave one last command. _EDI, lock the door._

Zero basked in the after-glory of her climax as she laid down on the bed. She swayed her hips, rubbing her legs in the process, her fingers caressing her still sensitive upper body, spontaneously convulsing between irregular intervals. She hummed her content. _That was intoxicating, _she spoke softly, _and I didn't even need the ryncol, _she joked. Shepard crawled on the bed over to where Jack was, his manhood still erect. _Shepard, what the fuck! _She cried surprised, her gaze lingering over him as she inched her back against the wall. His hands grabbed the back of her head and forced himself inside her, the visor flying off in the process, much to his increasing content. In spite of her initial shock, Zero not only didn't shy away, but took him all in, while folding her hands behind her back. She rocked her head back and forth in a violent rhythm that the specter's hands failed to keep up with, instead opting to have them hold the back of his head.

_Oh, Goddess, _the commander felt compelled to exclaim, his voice shaky.

Reading through the jolts going off around his body, Jack realized that he was soon going to reach his peak. In spite of not having drawn a breath in a while, her face effectively turning a purple color and mascara running down her teary eyes, she didn't relinquish her hold on him, in fact she grabbed a hold of his hips, her eyes locking with his, her stare aggressive, eyebrows contorted. As a final act, she stuck her tongue out, cupping the rest of him and tucking him inside her mouth, her cheeks swelling as Shepard released his seed down her throat. Zero's expression softened, even giving him a little wink, then slowly pulling herself away. Her oral cavity vacant again, she took in a deep breath, a thick strand of saliva still connecting her with him. Jack couldn't help herself slapping him on the ass, just before he collapsed on the bed. _All you had to do was ask, you fucker, _the bald woman complained. _It's not like I'd say no. And what's this Goddess shit? Did little blue convert you when she popped your cherry?_

_My Goddess is a human one, _he came back with a smile.

_Human, huh? _she poked fun at him. _She better not be a fucking cheerleader then, _Jack mocked as she grabbed her visor and placed it back on, much to Shepard's discontent. If the specter's compliment had any effect on Zero, she did a very good job of hiding it. Getting herself up, she walked on the mattress and placed her hips over him, before kneeling back down again. _Now get to business, _she ordered. _You worked me up good. _The commander hardly needed encouraging as he clasped down on Jack's thighs, a surprised smile forming on her face, before playfully biting her lower lip. _I knew you were a boy scout, but I had no idea you were a perv as well, _she teased him, supporting her upper body by placing her hands on his abs. The specter had enough of her loud mouth, so instead of indulging her, he decided to teach her a lesson, by biting her sensitive spot. Jack screamed in pain and jumped at the unpleasant sensation, digging her fingernails deep into his skin, drawing out blood. Shepard hardly registered the cuts, his heavy skin weave sealing the wounds not soon after, but leaving enough to smear him and Jack, who simply crashed onto him, the visor once more falling off.

His stamina recovered, Shepard wormed himself out of bed, then grabbed Jack by the waist and pulled her up. _No. No! Shepard, it's too soon, it's still sore!_ All of Jack's complaints seemed to fall on deaf ears as he entered her once again. She shook her legs, trying to get away, but her lover's grip was strong. It was, however, only a matter of time, before her cries of pain settled to soft moans of pleasure. Even as Shepard slapped her right thigh repeatedly, she seemed to get more excited. Zero bent her waist forward, then arched her back, looking for Shepard's lips. Amazed at her display of flexibility, the specter cocked both of this eyebrows in surprise, then lowered his head, indulging her in a kiss. Her moan reverberated inside his mouth, as he slapped her inflamed side again, her body once more tensing and relaxing. Her legs too weak to hold her up any more, she collapsed on the bed, panting from the mouth and even drooling.

Zero's body was flustered, her mouth felt dry, she was sweating, her private parts felt raw and all she wanted was to rest. Once more the strong arms of her lover seemed to grab her. Resigned to her fate, she didn't even attempt to struggle or complain. Shepard got her in a hold this time, as his grip went under her knees and locked behind her head in a position that looked both painful and way too exposing.

The battery was his home. Garrus had set down a mattress and a couple of sheets for a bed and spent almost his entire time here. Now, in retrospect, he could have used a bigger mattress, but this was the last place in the galaxy he expected to find romance. His partner had rested her head against his, seeing his own reflection on her purple visor. He huffed and puffed as she kept her body close, grinding herself against him.

_I feel like I should be kissing you, _ he said with a smile that revealed his pointy teeth, gleaming on the smooth plastic surface in front of him.

_I'd like it too, but until we start linking our environments, this is all I can do, _Tali explained.

With a short shudder, he felt himself go off, staining the quarian's envirosuit in the process. The engineer had the foresight to bring along some paper towels, just for this case, so she got down to cleaning herself off. Letting it to dry would have left a rather incriminating splotch and, well, people where nosy enough. Especially Joker, she made a mental note. Making sure she didn't miss a spot, she got up.

_I'm not complaining, _Garrus objected. _It's just that I didn't get to do something for you. _The turian rose to his feet as well.

The two glowing orbs seemed to constrict behind the visor as Tali smiled. _You've done more than enough, _she reassured him, wrapping her arm around the back of his head, pitting him against her helmet. She started to walk away after a small embrace, swaying her hips as rhythmically as she possibly could, then exiting the battery. Passing the sleeping pods, she gambled one last look back at the marksman who kept staring, magnetized, before the door closed. Tali took a deep breath, placing one arm on Gardner's station for support as she started coughing and hacking. _Oh keelah, _she managed between coughs, now adding a few sneezes to the mix. _I just had to pop my visor off, _she cursed her luck. _What wouldn't I give for some antibodies, _she though as a pair of tendrils protruded inside her mask and started shoving themselves into some rather uncomfortable places, sucking out the excess fluids she was letting out. In spite of getting over her fit, the quarian kept hearing some noise, at first thinking it was just the echo of her coughs, but those were screams she realized and the voice itself was familiar. Jack? _EDI, find Jack for me, _the engineer ordered.

_Jack is currently in the commander's cabin, Tali, _the AI informed her instantly.

_Commander's? _She wondered. _But the screams are coming from Miranda's quarters. _She shook her head, dismissing it. If EDI said Jack was with Shepard, then that's where she was. And if she was screaming like that, then something was wrong. Terribly wrong. _Jacob, _she beckoned.

_Yeah, Tali, what's up? _his voice resounded in the mess hall.

_Get my shotgun ready and meet me in the elevator at the CIC, _the engineer ordered.

_Why? What's wrong__?_ Jacob asked panicking.

_No time to explain, _she said running to the elevator, _just do it._

Miranda fell on her bed, with a loud thud. Her uniform had managed to find its way on the floor by now. She felt sticky and dirty, but thoroughly satisfied, as she panted heavily. _EDI, if you pull this stunt one more time, I'm throwing your core out the airlock, _she threatened.

Jack let out one long scream, spouting profanities along the way, that would have made even the most unphased krogan marine run out of a bar crying for his mother. Her body convulsed so frantically, her legs wormed out of Shepard's lock and the specter was certain something like that couldn't be done without dislocating a hip along the way. _Sh-shit! Fu-uck, _the biotic cried as she pushed herself away from him one more time and onto the bed. Her body still shaking while she scampered, she placed herself against the wall, gripping her legs by the ankles as she crossed them. _Fuck you, Shepard! Fuck you for doing this to me, _she spat.

_What? _was all the commander could say, still smiling over her exaggerated reaction, a hint of surprise on his face. Shepard heard the door open behind him. He cursed himself for not locking it after getting out of the shower.

_Shepard, I heard Jack's screams and I, _ the quarian's voice trailed off. Seeing the commander completely naked, blood smeared on him from Jack's cuts earlier, as the biotic herself had backed up again the wall, curled up and shaking, streams of mascara staining her cheeks and a small puddle of what she could only guess was urine, at Shepard's feet. _Oh keelah, _she muttered under her breath, then pulled her shotgun at him. _Get away from her, you bosh'tet, _the quarian cried out.

_What? _the specter exclaimed again, this time in a completely different tone.

_How could you do this to Jack? She trusted you! She helped you! And to think that it could have been me in her place, _she accused him, her aim faltering, but with a stifled sniff, she raised her weapon again. _Don't worry Jack, just take your clothes and follow me. This bosh'tet won't hurt you anymore.  
__  
__Tali, I just had a very violent, _she started only to be interrupted and frankly, she realized, this wasn't the best choice of words to make her point.

_It's OK. You don't have to explain it to me. It's not your fault this happened, _Tali had heard all she wanted to hear in just that one sentence.

Jack's gaze wondered off to the commander, looking at him quizzically, as if he'd have all the answers. _Well, she's clearly not listening. I suggest you go along with her, unless you promise to love my new bullet holes, _the specter answered her, humorously.

_She doesn't need you telling her what to do, _the engineer barked. She nodded towards the door. _I've got your back, Jack, _she reassured her. Frantically reaching around, Jack just wore her vest and picked everything else up in her arms, hurrying out the door, the quarian covering her escape with the same caution she would use against a batarian slaver.

The commander took a step towards the bed, only to step on a puddle of liquid that he hadn't noticed. _The hell is this? _he asked, as if someone would answer him, then sighed frustrated. He just wanted to lay down on his bed, but he couldn't with this filth littering the floor. _EDI, get someone to bring me a mop._

A few hours had passed and Samara's eyes finally opened up. She looked at herself, her uniform disheveled, a table turned around and the couch she was resting on had moved in an unusual position, seemingly balancing one end against the wall. Even the tentacles on her head had been messed with. Not to mention her justicar crown, parts of which had glued themselves against the glass of the observation deck. Hurriedly, she composed herself and looked up. The door was closed. Thankfully nobody had entered to see her in such a state. Having straightened herself out, she got up and then saw Massani had collapsed behind the sofa, his one arm firmly clutching his chest, over his heart. The asari rushed to him, kneeling beside him and lifting his head, then gently placing it in her lap. _Zaeed, _she shouted, slapping his face. The mercenary flinched.

_What? _His voice could only slightly be heard as he opened his eyes, but it was enough for Samara to calm herself down.

_Are you well? _Worry was evident in her voice.

_Yes, I, _he stammered. _I remember hearing some weird shouts as I got out o'the goddamn elevator, so I came in, but after that, I'm drawing fucking blanks, _he informed her. The mercenary lifted himself up with a little help by the justicar. He run his hand over the scars on his face. _Seems like some o' these prosthetics need some goddamn tunning, _he complained leaving the room.

*Oh, were you guys expecting a smut free Jackmance? I rated it M for a reason, you know.

**So I wrote 4k words worth of smut in one day. Who knew?


	18. Chapter 18

_Chapter 18: The Day After_

The information had finally been sent his way. It was an interesting case. After all, it had half the crew running across the galaxy, the other half scattered across the Citadel. It was a rare occasion that they would be stretched this thin, they did count twelve operatives, after all, minus the commander. Even then, it took everyone and Kelly Chambers to pull it off. Garrus gave the data one more look before opening a channel to Shepard.

_Commander, I have some news concerning Billy, _he explained.

_Relay it on me, _the commander prompted him.

_Turns out, Billy was a regular of the human acolyte. He had confessed his troubles to her more than once and even though Sha'ira sports a certain confidentiality between her business and her customers, it had become increasingly clear to the acolyte that Billy was a violent individual, so she took up action, _he clarified. _The turian diplomat was another one of her regular customers. She asked him for advice on the matter and he had urged her to come forth to C-Sec with the information. As for the salarian former STG member, he had offered to protect her from Billy, while the case was under investigation and during the trial. Personal friend of our turian diplomat, it seems._

_Thanks, Garrus. That does put a lot of things into perspective. Would have been nice to know that beforehand, _he regretted._  
_

_You told me not to contact my father, commander, _the turian reminded him.

_I know. Remember to give him my thanks next time you talk. How did his surgery go? _he asked out of courtesy.

_My sister's taking care of him and, _he paused, _wait, how do you know about that?_

Shepard bit his tongue. He shouldn't have mentioned it. _A mutual friend told me._

Garrus sighed. _Tell Liara to butt out. The broker doesn't need to keep a tab on my father. All she has to do is ask, _he promptly cut the channel off.

It had just made the news. Mordin wasn't really proud of it, but on the other hand, he was. He had given quite the show. Firm, confident, logical, to the point, _held the line._ He felt sorry for the turian, but more so for his family. _Still, not my fault. Had to defend Shepard, keep galaxy safe from Reapers. Maybe turian prosecutor's family survives because of him. Prosecutor would be more happy that way, if not dead. Should inform Shepard_, he reasoned, leaving his lab behind. There, in the CIC, next to Chambers, sitting by the terminal, the commander considered his next mission.

_Ah, Shepard! There you are, _the salarian scientist greeted him. _Have news, need to share._

_Good morning to you too, doctor Solus, _the specter replied in as official a tone as he could muster, mug in hand. _What have you got for me? _he asked, taking a sip.

_Morning report, turian prosecutor, found dead. Suicide, C-Sec announced, after career ending trial. Wife and three kids left behind. Thought you should know, _the doctor placed a comforting hand on the specter's shoulder. _Your fault after all._

Shepard spat the sip he had just taken, from the cup of coffee Kelly had made him, all over Mordin. _My fault? How is that my fault?_

_Your trial,_ Mordin explained, whipping the coffee off his face._ Just defended. Had to be done. Save Shepard, save galaxy, Mordin Solus, silent hero._

_You ruined his career with that defense,_ the specter objected.

_Irrelevant! Can't take heat, don't step in fire, _the good doctor defended himself. _If better prosecutor, make better case, better man win. Sorry, Shepard, your fault, _he concluded and returned to his lab.

The commander wobbled himself to his terminal, the yeoman giving him worried looks as he went. He couldn't believe it, but Mordin had actually convinced him to feel guilty. Behind him, the elevator door opened up and Tali walked out, her fingers fidgeting wildly the moment she saw Shepard in front of her.  
_  
Oh, keelah,_ she monologued remorsefully, approaching the commander.

_Hey, Tali, _he responded, almost sounding depressed.

_Oh, keelah, _she cowered._ I'm so sorry, Shepard. I took Jack to Chakwas and_ _she told me there was no, _she made a short intermission, clearing her throat, _forced entry._

_It's alright. As long as you don't shoot my manhood off, I forgive you, _ the resigned specter sighed_._

_No, it's not alright,_ she snapped. _You and Jack should have slept together like a couple in love should and I, _her voice trailed off_._

_Tali, she tore my clothes and peed on my floor, _he reminded her, pinching the ridge of his nose. The quarian blinked a couple of times, then chuckled and walked away laughing. The specter couldn't help but feel even more defeated.

The door to the lift rose up as it reached the mess hall. Miranda planned on taking it to reach to the briefing room, so she could prepare for the next mission Shepard had in mind. Seeing it was already occupied, she thought twice about walking inside, but didn't move away either.

_You coming? _Zero asked impatiently, throwing her hands out in frustration, even as she leaned against the side wall. Miranda, having a very different image still embedded in her mind, blushed at the mention of the word coming and strode inside, covering her face with her hand, the door closing behind her.

The ride felt like it took forever. The genetically perfect brunette felt the urge to say something. _I heard about your hard work during the investigation, _she spoke softly. She was afraid she might piss Jack off and in such a confined, yet exposed space, the psychotic biotic would have the upper hand. _You did a great job, _she praised her, if a little reluctant.

Jack tilted her head sideways, looking at the cheerleader with every bit of scorn she had. _Thanks, _she accepted. _I was kinda excited too, when I heard that you returned successful from Omega, _she admitted.

Miranda gambled a look towards her, disbelieving. _Maybe Shepard was right. Maybe she has changed, _she thought to herself.

_So I heard you fucked a krogan, _Zero mocked, smiling. And just like that, whatever musing Miranda had regarding her, disappeared.

_What? I didn't ... Who told you ... Oh, I'm going to toss that AI right to the Omega relay, IFF or no IFF, _Miranda snapped.

_I really wish you wouldn't, _Jack interrupted her, the operative forgetting her rage over Jack's choice of words.

_I thought you hated EDI, _she asked, taken aback.

_I don't, _she objected, cocking an eyebrow. _Well,_ _yeah, I kinda do, _she re-thought her earlier statement, bobbing her head along, _but I'd have to listen to Joker's whimpering over how he got cock blocked out of his one chance for love and, _she stopped mid sentence as Miranda started laughing. _What's so funny, cheerleader? _Jack inquired, itching for a fight instantly.

_It's nothing, _she dismissed, waving her hands in accordance and laughing simultaneously. _I just pictured Joker trying to have sex with EDI's projection in the cockpit, _ she clarified.

_What? That's not, _the biotic paused for a moment, conjuring the image in her mind's eye. She chortled, then tried walking around in imitation of the pilot's limp. _Oh, yes, EDI, take my little Vrolik dick, _she mocked with her usual exaggeration, thrusting her hips, while still maintaining the limp. Miranda found herself gasping for breath. She knew it was wrong to make fun of a disabled man like this and it was a cheap attempt at humour, but deep down, she felt that he had it coming. Zero on the other hand, had to lean on the wall, the spams from her guffaw making her lose her balance. It took the two women about a minute or so to realize the door had opened to the CIC and the crew was staring at them awkwardly. Hastily they collected themselves.

_Biotic slut, _Miranda spat and darted towards the armory.

_Cerberus bitch, _Jack returned the compliment and walked over to Shepard, who stared just as dumbfounded as the rest of the Normandy's personnel. _What? _she snapped at him.

_Nothing, _he prompted, composing himself. _I was thinking maybe you could use the day off so you and your new bff could go shopping together, _he teased, his mood alleviated.

_Not funny, Shepard, _she raised an accusing finger at him. She put her hands up on the little desk that supported the commander's private terminal, next to the galaxy map. _I forgot something in your cabin last night, _she added as an afterthought.

_ I noticed, _he replied, taking something out of his pocket and shoving it in hers. _I need to know something, Jack, _he started off rather seriously. He leaned forward so his head would be about the same height as hers. Zero turned around to face him. _I can take biting my lips till they bleed, digging your nails under my skin, tearing my clothes apart, but I have to know; did you pee in my cabin?_

Jack pursed her lips together. _I had a very violent orgasm, _she stated in a matter of fact tone.

_Oh, _the specter replied, his eyebrows contorted, seemingly still thinking about it. _Oh, _he repeated as his brows raised in unison, realization achieved. _Oh, _he concluded.

_And I'm still sore, you asshole, _she punched his arm vindictively. _Not to mention the trip to the infirmary, _she grimaced and shivered in disgust at the same time.

_Yeah, Tali came by a minute ago, talking about that, _the commander informed her. _What was so wrong about it?_

_Chakwas. That's what was wrong, _she barked. _You know how they check you for rape? They touch and prod everywhere for semen samples and signs of bruising, _she muttered softly, but her frustration was evident._ Your biting and slapping didn't help either, dumbass.  
_

_I'm so sorry to hear that,_ he tried to sound earnest, but his chuckles made it seem otherwise. Zero just shook her head.

There seemed to have been a lot of movement around the ship that day, as the elevator's whirred once more, then stopped, the door opening again._ Jack, _came a soft feminine voice behind her. The biotic and the commander turned around to face the asari as she stood in front of the now shut lift. _Shepard, _she continued, tilting her head towards the specter. He replied in kind with a nod of his own. _I'm sorry, but there is still one thing that needs to be done, _she strode towards Zero, her hands reaching for her head.

_Hey, what the-, _she started to protest at the Justicar's bold advance, but as soon as contact was made, she froze in place. It only lasted for a second, though, as Samara retracted her arms. _-h__ell do you think you're,_ she paused, seeing the asari moving away from her,_ doing, _she concluded.

_The link has been severed. I shan't trouble you again, _she said with another bow and retreated back to the elevator, the door closing behind her.

_What was that about? _Shepard inquired, both surprised and confused.

_Beats the hell outta me, _Zero complained. _She's been doing all sorts of things with my head lately, like its her fucking playground, _she explained, agitated. _I'm going to be relieved if this is the last time she ever messes with it, _she sighed.

_Like what kind of stuff, _Shepard quizzed as he shifted around her.

_Like yesterday, when I was after Billy, she somehow got in my head, saw what I saw, felt what I felt, and amplified it a million times, _Jack explained.

_Is that why yesterday, _the commander insinuated, but Zero just stared at him confused. _I mean when you and I, we, you know, _he tried to clarify, fumbling for the words.

_I don't think it works that way, _Jack dismissed his assumption with a shake of her head. _I'm pretty sure, last night, it was all you, _she smiled, leaning on him.


	19. Chapter 19

_Chapter 19: Live free ..._

Another month passed. Missions and obligations had kept the two apart for the most part and when they did get together, they were too tired for anything other than sleep. Jack continued her arduous training with Samara and had learned a lot. The asari was patient with the human biotic, but she was also amazed by the speed she picked up things in her tutelage. Though the Justicar wouldn't admit it openly, she believed that Zero possessed a power possibly greater than even hers, if harnessed and tamed.

On the other hand, the first human specter was far too busy on away missions with the rest of the crew. When he wasn't putting his life on the line for the sake of the galaxy, he spent most of his time recovering in the infirmary. He didn't mind getting new scars, nor Chakwas' constant concern, but his time was too precious to spend it patching himself up. The little time he had to himself, he'd usually consult with Liara. They needed something, anything, if they were to stand a chance against the Reapers.

After their latest endeavor, the Normandy was finally on its way to the Citadel. The commander woke up, his left side feeling heavy and numb. He had received a headbutt from a krogan there in their last mission. The previous day it just felt sore and the ice pack the doctor had placed on it seemed to have soothed him, but it looked like it must have been just temporary. He reached a hand out to rub his shoulder, but it came upon something that wasn't supposed to be there. It made him pull it back in surprise. The weird lump that had apparently grown on him hummed at his intrusion. _Jack? _He whispered softly. Another soft hum came his way. He grunted as softly as he could and tried to settle himself in a way that blood would flow again to his left side, without waking her up. Shepard thought of installing some mechanism that would notify him when she enters his room, but then he reminded himself that she even broke in, past C-Sec to find him. So he promptly kissed that idea goodbye.

Sleeping with Jack wasn't as comfortable as he had expected this time. She kicked and tossed and turned and more than once he jumped from his sleep at a shrill cry of '_I will destroy you'_. Eventually, the specter just gave up and managed to worm his way out of bed. He had just sat on his terminal when a message popped up on his monitor. It read _'Just go with it' _in bright flickering letters. It was definitely from Liara, although the message lacked the usual subtlety. He repeated it aloud to himself, more in disbelief than wonder.

_Good morning, Shepard, _EDI's voice resounded in the room.

The commander reprimanded her with a shush. _Not so loud. Jack is sleeping, _he scolded the AI.

_Too late, _he heard her grunt from the bed. _And by the way, you fidget even more than your stupid hamster, when you're sleeping. _There were a thing or two popping in Shepard's head that he would have liked to share. However, he knew better than that. From his experience, there were two things you just didn't do; first was stop a galactic invasion on your own and second was start a fight with your girlfriend and expect to win. Jack climbed out of bed and walked closer to where he was. She wore a dark black hoodie with a red stripe between two white ones going down her right arm, then N7 logo stitched on the right side of its chest. She was naked from waist down. Zero settled herself on the sofa located on the other side of his display case.

_Is that my N7 hoodie? _The specter inquired.

_It was the only one that didn't have a Cerberus logo on it, _she shrugged indifferently.

_It's also the only thing you haven't torn apart in my closet, _he remarked.

_And? _she asked, nonchalant.

The commander just shook his head in a resigned manner. _Go ahead, EDI, _he settled.

_Yeoman Chambers asked me to inform you, regarding your reservation at the Ryuushei Sushi bar, _she relayed on him.

_My reservation at the Ryuushei Sushi bar? _He wondered aloud, then remembered the flickering message on his monitor. _Oh ... yeah. It's for tonight, right?_

_That is correct,_ the AI affirmed. _The reservation is for two. Shall I inform them you will be going?_

_Yes. Yes, I will be going,_ the specter conveyed.

_So, _Jack started. _Dinner for two. Who are you taking along?_

_Take a wild guess,_ he pitched at her.

_Grunt would be a nice choice. He loves fish, _she explained.

_Oh yeah, Grunt, _he admitted to himself. _I should take him fishing someday. _He shook his head, snapping out of his daydream. _No, I'm taking you._

_Me? To the fancy place that serves overpriced tiny fish portions? Is this your way of telling me I look fat?_ Jack quizzed him.

The commander laughed heartily. _No, Jack. It's just that it's been a month since the two of us had, well, you know, _he stammered.

_So if you get laid, you take me to dinner at the most expensive place in the Citadel? _she wondered. _What would a blowjob get me? Hotdogs? _she paused, waiting for an answer. _If you're gonna say that it would get me your sausage between my two buns, I'm leaving and I'm taking my toothbrush._

_I was gonna say a massage and breakfast in bed, _he defended himself. _Wait, you've brought your toothbrush? Was that your leather harness in my closet as well?_

_I had no place to hang it from, dumbass, _she explained. _And the toothbrush stays, unless you like tasting your cock when you kiss me. _Shepard just bobbed his head in accordance.

Jack heard footsteps from the other side of the display case and then felt a pair of hands gently touch the back of her legs. _What do you wanna do after dinner? _he asked plainly.

_I've been thinking of getting another tattoo. I've got just enough room on my ass for one more, _she teased.

_Don't you think you've got enough ink already? _the specter kept rubbing her legs, slowly moving up to her hips.

_You'll love this one, _she promised. Zero bit her lower lip as Shepard's hands started fondling a spot that, if not for their relationship, would have been inappropriate. Still, he dropped his bold advance.

_I've been meaning to ask. I know you have nicknames for Miranda, EDI, Tali, Garrus and me. Do you have any for the others as well? _he quizzed.

_Sure do, _she exclaimed. _One for each._

_Oh really? So what do you call Mordin? _the specter inquired.

_Crackers, _she stated.

_Yeah, I guess he does fit the mad scientist motif, _the commander conceded. _Alright, how about Samara?_

_Battletits._

_What? Why? _he wondered. Jack twisted her upper torso to the side just a bit and placed her hands over her chest, mimicking a pair of large orbs. _Oh, right, _he agreed. _An_d _Grunt_?

_He's my pup._

_Pup, _he repeated confused.

_Yeah, he's cute, _she explained.

_I don't think I'd use cute as a word to describe__ a 300 pound krogan death machine, _he objected.

_That's one of his finer qualities, _she elaborated.

_Whatever, _he dismissed with a wave of his arms. _What about Thane?_

_Eh, he's just a frog, _she sounded disinterested.

_I was expecting something more creative, _he replied, rather let down. _Zaeed?_

_Grumpy Grizzles._

Shepard laughed, as the mercenary certainly fit the description. _That's what I was waiting for. And Jacob?_

Zero paused for a moment, thinking about it. _Jacob, _she said finally, coming up short.

The specter frowned. _Yeah, he's not that interesting. _Shepard took a small intermission from his chat, as he focused mostly on rubbing Jack's legs, but his expression had switched to a more serious one. _Are you still fixed on killing Miranda? _he found the courage to ask.

She gnarled her frustration at the mention of the cheerleader's name. Especially at a time like this, all she wanted, was for the commander's thoughts to be all about her, not some flimsy bimbo brunette. _Why did you have to go and bring her up? And I was having a good day, for once. Fuck!_

_She's part of my crew. I need to know that she's safe while she's on board,_ he clarified, as if that would cheer the psychotic biotic up.

She simply shook her head in return. _I'm not going to smear the mess hall with her blood, Shepard. As much as I hate to admit it, she's capable and if it ever came down to a fight, she knows terrain tactics that would make my biotic powers useless. Until I can outsmart and corner her, she's safe._

_Then you're not planning on letting up,_ the commander concluded.

Jack replied with a sigh. _She has her uses. And she could be helpful in the war with the Reapers, _she admitted. _I'm not_ _giving her a free pass, but I'm not going to try anything until this blows over._

_That's more than I could ask for,_ he acknowledged.

_You're goddamn right it is, _she affirmed.

The dinning room attendant immediately recognized his esteemed guest, as soon as he got in the line of the Ryuushei sushi bar and beckoned him forward. The commander was dressed in a formal outfit, befitting a man of his stature. He had chosen an official alliance suit, the likes of which he had seen before on other high ranks, such as rear admiral Mikhailovich and admiral Hackett. It was, however, when he saw his escort that the maitre d' felt a paramount need to, well, puke his guts out. She was a woman of short stature, her head was clean shaven and even had a tasteless tattoo going around it, from side to side. From what he could make of it, her face was scared, though she had thankfully hid it behind a large visor. He assumed that the poor woman had probably lost an eye as well in her escapades with the commander and wore it out of tact, not to scare the rest of the patrons away.

This trainwreck of an escort, however, didn't nearly stop insulting his vision with her face, but with her entire existence. The tight leather vest that she had zipped up wasn't nigh enough to hide the rows upon rows of tattoos and scars that marred her body, not to mention her selection of clothing as well. In the name of all that was holy, this woman had actually shown up in plain jeans and military boots. Still, he reasoned with himself, it was his job to usher them to their seats and make sure their evening was comfortable and pleasant. Even if they were practically asking too much. So he started off as he always did, welcoming them with a fake smile. _Right this way, commander, _he beckoned them in and showed them to their table.

_I don't like it here. People are glaring at me, like I'm some kind of circus animal, _Jack protested.

_We're not here for them. Just ignore them and try and have a good time, _he reminded her.

_Not with everybody staring like that. I can't shake it off. What if Cerberus found out and are here to get me? What if the fucking cheerleader tipped them off, _her paranoid instincts kicked in.

_Miranda quit Cerberus when she agreed to destroy the Collector base, remember? She's done giving reports to the Illusive Man, _the commander objected.

_I'm telling you, Shepard, there's something really wrong here. I can feel it, I got, _she paused, then proceeded to scratch her arms, _ants crawling under my skin, it's ..._

_Jack, _he snapped at her as his arm reached for hers, nearly slapping all the fine crockery from their table. _I'm right here. Nothing's going to happen._

Zero remembered to breath again, taking in a few deeper than usual ones in the process. _I'm sorry, _she pleaded. _It's just that I'm not used to being put up for display like that._

_You don't have to apologize. I understand, but these people are just looking at your tattoos,_ he explained.

_Think they like what they see? _Zero finally eased up into a smile even.

_I'm sure there's going to be a lot of traffic in the tattoo parlors tonight. Too many spoiled rich girls will make ill decisions concerning their private parts and ink, _he joked and she laughed in accordance. _See? This is nice, _he prompted.

_It's a bit too quiet for my taste, _Jack clarified. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, _but_ _I hear their wine selection is top notch._

The specter took the hint and stopped one of the waiters as he was passing by their table. _Excuse me, can me and my date get a glass of wine?_

_Certainly, sir. Anything particular in mind?_ the waiter was obligated to ask.

Shepard remembered that he hadn't even touched the menu. _How about I leave that up to you? _he proposed.

_Of course, sir, I have just the thing,_ he exclaimed, reassuringly, before resuming his work. The commander just extended his thanks in a nod.

_Just one glass? _Zero argued.

_It's for starters, _he settled, throwing his arms up. Shepard's omni-tool came to life.

_What is it now? _the bald woman quizzed.

_I'm not sure, _he sounded as surprised as she did. He fiddled with it for a moment. _Come in, Joker, _he ordered but all that came back to him was a series of static with the words frequencies, jammed and alliance thrown in. _Damn it, _the specter cursed, snapping his head at the annoyance. _I'm going to head back, _he informed Jack.

_I'm coming with you, _she beckoned, jumping from her seat.

_I'm sure it's nothing, _he dismissed. _Just wait here, I'll be back asap, _he tried to sound as reassuring as he possibly could. He dropped a chit on the table, before leaving. _Order anything you want, this should cover it, _he concluded and darted out of the restaurant.

Zero, still dumbfounded over the whole predicament, simply stared at the credit chit on the table and tried to imagine a night filled with a harem of batarian male whores. Unfortunately for her, they all seemed to have Shepard's face imprinted on them and that sorta spoiled her fun. _Fucking boy scout, _she vented.

It took her a while, but Jack had finally become comfortable in this quiet little place. Every now and then, she would pick up a conversation from a nearby table about how a date would propose getting a tattoo in one of the least exposed parts of her body. The explanation they'd give on what the tattoo would depict and where it would be placed often made Zero smile and she found herself amused. Or maybe it was the 4 bottle of wine she was going through. A monitor seemed to turn to life, not far from there, a man in a neat suit and tidy brown hair was talking about a rather serious matter.

_We take you live to Citadel docking bay D24 where alliance marines have started an infiltration operation. Our Westerlund News correspondent, Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, is on the scene, Khalisah? _the man turned to the side, as if he would be facing her directly, the image zoomed out and then into a small window, that showed a number of marines in a blockade around a ship.

_Docking bay D24? _Jack snapped, jumping off her seat. _That's where the Normandy is ..._

_Jacqueline Nought?_ a female voice coming from behind her interrupted her train of thought. Zero turned around to face the woman that had called her out with a rather unusual name. She had blonde hair and light skin, brilliant blue eyes that matched the color of her alliance uniform.

_What did you call me? _the biotic flared, as intrigued as she felt threatened.

_You probably don't remember me, but we've met before, _the woman said.

_I know who you are, snowflake. You're Kalhee Sanders. We met on Grissom when we dropped off David Archer, _Zero elaborated, her body flashed with lightning. _Are we going to have a problem?_

_I'm here to make a proposition, _Kalhee clarified. _We've recently been tasked with training a group of, _she fumbled for the word, _gifted individuals. A certain number of people exposed to eezo._

_Why don't you flat out say biotics?_ Jack accused her, but the blue light that surrounded her_, _had finally dissipated.

_The word biotic is still used with much distrust. It signifies mutation. When implied that these people were simply exposed to element zero, it means that it was not their intention, an accident. Causes a lot less discomfort, _the blond alliance officer enlightened her. _The fact remains, these children are in need of an instructor and we've been informed by reliable sources that you are the most potent human biotic alive. The alliance believes that we could both benefit from such a partnership._

_You're barking up the wrong tree, snowflake. I'm not teacher material,_ Jack denied her.

_It's a shame, _the officer frowned. _You'll find that most of your allies have fled by now and your commander will soon be in our custody. Alliance has the resources to come after you, subject Zero. And even if we don't get you, then Cerberus will. However, if you work with us, we will offer you a place of residence, a clean criminal record and protection from para-military organizations, _her negotiating effort was rather blunt. She opened up her jacket and with a slow and dramatic motion, as she retrieved a datapad, then flung it on the biotic's table. _The specifics are here. My door, the alliance's door, is open for you Jack. But it won't stay like that forever. _Kalhee turned around and left the restaurant, leaving a still fumbling Jack behind her.

_It's Shepard! Commander Shepard! The marines have apprehended him and are leading him away. We'll try to get a statement. Commander Shepard! _The woman from Westerlund news was shouting at the top of her lungs. Zero had no doubt, as the camera closed in on him, that it was indeed Shepard. The marines halted their march as he struggled in front of the camera. _Commander Shepard, this is __Khalisah al-Jilani, Westerlund news._ Any statements for our viewers?

The commander looked at the camera, visibly fighting the marines that were trying to lead him away. _If you're watching this, you know who you are. Stay alive. Wherever you may be, I will find you, _he prompted, that charming smile she had grown so fond of, nestled on his lips once more.

Jack knew that her world had just crumbled. The Normandy had been repossessed by the Alliance, all her crew mates, as Kalhee had informed her, had already fled to whatever direction and Shepard was in custody. For some unexplained reason, though, she felt like her path was set. Jack sunk in her chair, taking another glass of wine in her one hand, the alliance datapad on the other. She took one last look at the monitor, now showing the Normandy's door open as the marines entered, Shepard's words echoing in her ears. _Dumbass, _she replied with a smile, as if he was still there.

*_This may require a revision on my part, so stay tuned for corrections. We've got one more chapter to go._


	20. Chapter 20

_Chapter 20: Epilogue, Director's Cut and Outtakes_

The two humans had settled themselves on one of the seats of the tattoo parlor, the female sitting on the male's lap. They had been staring at each other's eyes adoringly for some time now, occasionally kissing and fondling. This only served to infuriate the angry, bald woman next to them, even further. She was, after all, the reason why the young couple was there to begin with. Well, them and the other three couples that had completely occupied the waiting room. Their playful attitude accentuated the fact that she was actually the only one waiting alone in line. More than once, the enamored duo had bumped onto her, prodded her and generally were making a nuisance of themselves.

_Why don't you fuckers get a room already, _she shook her fist enraged at them.

_Alright, who's next? _Came the voice of a burly man, most of his body covered in ink as well. His head was bald, just like Jack's, but he sported a long black beard. His skin was a few shades darker than the human biotic's. Grumpily, yet eager to be off her chair, Zero raised her hand._ Right this way, then, _he beckoned, guiding her to the room he practiced his trade. _Whatcha want, lady? _he asked curiously. Jack simply took a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket and unfolded it in front of him. The man took it and examined it, raising an eyebrow and scratching his head. She certainly didn't seem the type to get involved with that lot. _You sure about this? _Her reply came back as a simple nod and the artist simply shrugged it off. _And were do we put it? You're out of space, I think. _With her usual lack of tact, she took her pants off and showed a small unmarked window on her butt cheek. _You're not much for talking are ya, lady? _the burly man wondered out loud, to which Jack replied with the finger.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'

_Hey everyone! I'm Garrus Vakarian, _the turian spoke to the recording device of his omni-tool.

_And I'm Jeff 'Joker' Moreau, _the pilot leaned towards the glowing glove.

_We're currently on Haestrom after a bet we made with Jacob Taylor, _Garrus explained.

_At the expense of sounding incredibly racist, we wagered he can't get any darker than he already is, _the bearded human clarified.

_Jacob, of course, accepted the challenge, but we needed speedy results._

_And what better place to work on your tan, than Haestrom? Jacob?_

The veteran marksman turned his omni-tool to the dark skinned human that was currently walking shirtless behind a large concrete column. Jacob extended his hand for just a second out of the column's cover, then looked at it, smiling, his former stress relieved. _That wasn't so bad, _he smiled walking past the pillar_, _then combusting not a moment later, screaming in terrible agony.

_Oh, wow! I don't think we have enough medi-gel to cover that one, _the turian shook his head.

_Yeah, _the pilot acknowledged with a nod. _It's a good thing nobody liked Jacob, anyway._

_*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'_

Jack was seated on one of the bar stools of the Dark Star Lounge for a while now. She was going through her third, maybe fourth bottle of batarian ale already. A bulky man came and rested himself next to her, leaning heavily on the bar. He was huge enough to pass for a krogan, if not for the lack of a headplate. He had fashioned his hair in some sort of a Mohawk, he wore a grey alliance shirt and dark blue alliance pants. A dog tag hang from his neck.

_Hey, Lola, _he prompted, admiring the ink around her midriff. Jack looked at him out of the corner of her eye and downed a shot that had managed to make its way to her.

_The fuck do you want, Pelvis CuntThrust, _she mocked, slamming the shot glass on the bar. _No, no, fuck that! I'm not doing this! Who the fuck talks like this? Pelvis CuntThrust. This isn't funny._

_Cut, _the director shouted_. Just do the script, Jack!_

_No! It's fucking retarded! Who the fuck wrote this?_ she objected. _I demand whatever fucker wrote this to have it changed!_

_I'm not sacrificing my artistic integrity, _cookiegutter shouted back.

_Hey, everyone! This is James Vega. Remember to go see my movie. It's called Paragon Lost, _the bulky man tried to capture the camera's interest.

_Goddammit, James, _the director slammed his hat on the floor.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'

_Ah, Shepard! There you are, _the salarian scientist greeted him. _Have news, need to share._

_Good morning to you too, doctor Solus, _the specter replied in as official a tone as he could muster, mug in hand. _What have you got for me? _he asked, taking a sip.

_Morning report, turian prosecutor, found dead. Suicide, C-Sec announced, after career ending trial. Wife and three kids left behind. Thought you should know, _the doctor placed a comforting hand on the specter's shoulder. _Your fault after all._

Shepard spat the sip he had just taken, from the cup of coffee Kelly had made him, all over Mordin. _My fault? How is that my fault?_

_Mocha. It had to be mocha,_ the salarian complained. _I hate mocha, _he wiped his face. A loud noise was heard coming from the scientist's pocket. _Yo, hold on, I gotta take this. Heeeey, baby, what's up? Yeah? Uh-huh ... uh-huh ... you too babe. Yeah. Whatcha wearing? Awwwww haw haw hawwww! That's what I'm talking 'bout. Yo, Shep, be right back, _Mordin motioned with his hand as he walked out of the set.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'

His stamina recovered, Shepard wormed himself out of bed, then grabbed Jack by the waist and pulled her up. _No. No! Shepard, it's too soon, it's still sore!_ All of Jack's complaints seemed to fall on deaf ears as he entered her once again. She shook her legs, trying to get away, but her lover's grip was strong. It was, however, only a matter of time, before her cries of pain settled to soft moans of pleasure. Even as Shepard slapped her right thigh repeatedly, she seemed to get more excited.

_What the hell? _he wondered, looking at the ink stain on his palm.

_It's painted on, you dumbass! What did you expect? _Jack protested.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'

The knock on Kahlee's door came as a surprise. She wasn't expecting anyone. Well, she was hoping for someone, but not expecting. The alliance lieutenant ran to her door with little more than a shirt on. _David? _she asked, curious. She was setting herself up for a let down, however, as opening the door only revealed a short, bald woman, her mostly exposed body mired in scars and ink. _Jack, _she exclaimed surprised. The woman just barged in. _Please, come in, _Kahlee mocked after the fact. Intrigued, she simply watched as the biotic looked around the room, as if looking for something.

The room was large. As big as the Normandy's mess hall and it was only the dinning room, she noticed by the long table and large number of chairs set around it. Against the wall rested a neatly placed sideboard. A balcony door would normally shower the hall with plenty of light, if not for the late of the hour. Past the door was the living room, a couple of steps de-escalated to a couple of couches placed around a coffee table. The balcony seemed to extend to this room as well. A hallway led to the kitchen, in the far right and a flight of stairs to an elevated mid-floor, where the bedrooms and showers were accommodated. Jack turned around to face Kahlee. _Is this the kind of place the alliance will provide for me as well?_

_No, Jack. I own this place, not the alliance, _Kahlee clarified.

_Good, _she replied nodding. _I noticed twenty three possible entry points just by looking around. _This made Kahlee look around frightened. She didn't know if Jack was just trying to scare her or if she was being serious, but she felt extremely insecure. _Where would I be staying, then?_

_You'd spend most of your time in Grissom, so you would have a room there. You'll get paid for your work, of course and whatever money you make, you can invest in whatever you like, _the alliance officer tried to sweeten the deal with the offer of payment. Why was she even trying this hard?

_It better be safer than this place. If Cerberus, _she started.

_Cerberus will not attack Grissom, Jack, I assure you, _Kahlee tried calming her down. _And even if they did, the alliance protects their own. You will have nothing to worry about._

_I got plenty to fucking worry about, snowflake,_ Jack snapped.

Kahlee huffed in frustration and clasped her hands together. _I know you're upset, _she prompted, trying to calm her down.

_Upset? _she barked at the officer. _You're goddamn right I'm upset! _Tugging at the zipper of her top with one hand, she pulled a datapad that had been shoved into it with the other, baring herself at Kahlee in the effort. After holding up the datapad up for display, she slammed it on the ground.

_Wow, OK, I don't need to see those, _the officer tried to cover Jack up only for the biotic to slap her hands away. _Look, Jack, _she started, _I'm not the one who __issued for the commander's arrest. Shepard has done a lot of great things. For everyone. If it were up to me, none of this would have happened. But it has and now you need a new home. _She kneeled down, carefully picking up the pad, before offering it back to her. _So, are you in or not? _As Zero tried grabbing it, the alliance officer pulled it back. _And you'll have to cut down on the swearing. You'll be teaching kids, after all._

_You're pushing it, Sanders,_ the biotic pointed an accusing finger at her.

_No swearing, _she repeated, then offered the pad again.

_F ... fine, _Zero grumbled, snatching the datapad again, then stormed out, slamming the door behind her.

The blonde sighed in relief as Jack finally left the apartment and decided to slowly walk to her bed. Then the door rang again. _What's wrong now? _she asked, clearly annoyed, as she opened the door. _Did you drop your __nipples ... David? _the surprise was evident in her voice as she saw the tall, dark skinned man on her door.

His hands fumbled over his chest. _No, they're still there, _Anderson replied jokingly with a smile.

_I-I'm sorry. I thought it was Jack and, _she tried to excuse her behaviour.

_I saw her on my way up. No need to apologize. _He tilted his head towards his right. _She's a real handful, that one. I wonder how Shepard puts up with her. _The councilor's gaze focused on the attractive blonde woman in front of him. _May I come in? _he asked politely, after a small pause.

_Yes, of course, _she realized she had him standing in the hallway, as if he would walk in uninvited. _No, that's a very different person_, she thought to herself.

_*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*' *'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'_

_*If you have read the Mass Effect books, I haven't, so I have no idea what Kahlee is actually like. If she's out of character, well, tough nipples, as it is too late to change that now._

_**This marks the end of our story. There's more stuff that I'd like to write and the only place to go is after ME3, at this point. So I hope that you liked 'Bridging the Gap' and maybe you'll like the title better next time. Oh, don't be like that. I'm already working on it. And I might even try something bold.  
_


End file.
